Legend of Zelda: Failures of Infinity
by OnionSan93
Summary: Like many others, I loved Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Though, I felt disappointed in the story and characters. I want to pour my own love as Nintendo did in this recent addition in the franchise. I'll try my best!
1. Part I: Prologue

They must have been going in circles for what seemed like an eternity. The same ancient oak tree, the same log, and the same dirt path camouflaged their way out. The only thing that changed is what they wished had not, the light. Darkness mossed The Great Hyrule Forest. A mist of light radiated from three torches. Brigo declared the map useless and stuffed it into his pocket hiding the sweat that stained the parchment. He wanted to hide his fear from the group particularly Nat. She insisted they stopped for the night and settle by campfire, but Brigo's stubbornness stopped him from heeding her advice. He wanted to blame Ser Baumar for this whole ordeal. It was his idea to bring him and Nat on this adventure, it was his idea to go through this forest, and it was his idea to take this path. Brigo snatched the map and decided to take the lead. Ever since Baumar lagged behind hanging his head low in shame. As a knight of the Royal Guard of Hyrule, he dishonored not only himself but the Royal Guard as a whole. They were suppose to protect the people of Hyrule and now he put his dearest friends at the mercy of the forest.

An archaic bronze bird settled beneath the Triforce of Baumar's armor. Before the sun set, the golden crest sparkled in all its splendor. Baumar had been christened a knight at the age of twenty and for five years proudly served the Royal Family in the name King Hyrule. He never saw the man outside the sanctum in the central tower of Hyrule Castle. Lossing both a wife and daughter, the king isolated himself in his chamber. Not even to grace the King or Queens of the noble families at the coliseum where all races gather for a bout of friendly competition. This was the reason why they were lost in the forest to begin with. Baumar's childhood friend, Link, and comrade been chosen as the youngest anointed knight and one of the Heavenly Soldiers of Hyrule Despite the age difference and experience, Link surpassed Baumar and adults alike at an early age. Baumar prepared himself his entire life for such an honor, but the Gods taught him humility in choosing Link. He wanted to congratulate Link and support him at the upcoming tourney that proved Link's ability. Now that the sun set, the crest on Baumar's armor faded into the darkness.

"Ugh," Nat complained, "this is terrible!" She stomped her foot and faced Baumar. "This is your fault!" Baumar almost rammed into Nat, startled. "Why couldn't we just take the scenic route on Hyrule Ridge!"

"Because," Baumar explained while walking past Nat, "those thunderstorms are dangerous. My armor will attract lightning."

"You didn't have to wear it!" So frustrated Nat was willing to find a way to blame Baumar for anything.

"Are you serious? More and more monsters have been roaming the land. I need to wear it to keep you two safe. Besides, you two are useless without me." Baumar's anger got the best of him and wished he bit his tongue before he said that.

"Useless!" Nat screeched, "Who are you calling useless. You're the one who got us lost in the first place."

"Why are you yelling at me then? I'm not the one leading the way."

"We should have never came along on this trip. I just wanted to see the Zora. I never seen one before."

"You didn't have to come!"

"I...mmmm...fair enough," Nat now wanted to distracted herself from Baumar and again helplessly suggested that they spend the night by campfire. She turned to Brigo who was no where to be seen, "Brigo?" She looked around and saw nothing but the encroaching darkness. "Brigo this isn't funny." She drew closer to Baumar. The sun had completely set. "H-hey, Baumar, I can't find Brigo."

Baumar looked around and saw that Nat was right, "Brigo?!" Baumar yelled.

"Brigo!" Nat yelled but heard nothing.

Nat thought she heard something rustle in the bushes. Maybe Brigo wanted to hide in the bushes to scare them, but his prolonged absence betrayed any sense of security, "I don't see him," Nat said. "Baumar, I think we should get out of here."

"Sounds like a plan."

The two ran haphazardly deeper into the forest. They yelled out Brigo's name, but to no avail. A bluish mist hovered above the ground so thick Baumar sliced through it. Nat held Baumar's hand tightly. Everything looked the same no matter how far they went except for the trees. Faces formed from the bark. Laughing, twisted, sneering faces that jeered their futile attempt to escape. They said, _Run! Run! Run! Heh, heh_! Did they actually spoke? Did the forest? Did it breathe? Baumar thought. No, that was something else. Something ravenous. Heavy rasping breathing heaved from the throat of an unknown animal. Baumar thought it might have been a wolf a rather large wolf to produce such an ugly noise. He ran faster almost pulling Nat's arm from the joint. She did not know if she wanted to complain of the pain or of whatever chased them. Nat wished she never came here. She wanted to forget about the tourney and go home. Baumar eventually stopped. Large thick bushes formed a wall that encircled them. Baumar turned both of them around to go back the way they came, but the bushes were now behind them. The bushes rustled. Baumar kept Nat behind him and drew his royal guard sword. The rustling came from all sides. He kept turning hoping to catch whatever stalked them. A blood curdling scream came from Nat. Baumar turned around to face her but she vanished. Brigo's gone, Nat's gone, and now it was Baumar's turn.

"Show yourself!" Baumar commanded. If he died, he wanted to die a warrior's death.

A grayish blur jumped from the bushes. Baumar evaded too late. A giant wolf snatched his sword from his grip. It stood taller than a large bear. It was more of a monster than a wolf. It bit down on the sword and broke it into many tiny pieces. Baumar took out his shield. Suddenly, many wolves of the same size ambushed Baumar. He looked around waiting for the first wolf to strike. Then, they all relaxed. Baumar heard large footsteps nearby getting closer. A honeyvore bear on its hind legs emerged from the bushes. It got closer. Baumar smelled its putrid, moist breath. It got heavier until the bear stopped about a couple feet away. It got on all fours when Baumar realized someone ridden it. It looked like a younger woman with ragged dirty blonde hair. She wore a heart shaped leaf large enough to cover her face. This woman lifted the mask to reveal a face smudged with fresh red paint. The woman lifted her sword like a warrior charging into battle on horse back. Baumar saw nothing but hate on the woman's face.


	2. Chapter I: How Shall a Sparrow Fly

_Mommy! Mommy! Help me! Please!_

 _Nothing looked familiar. She had traversed this river more times than she could count, but the thunderstorm warped the scenery. It filled her heart with terror. The waves crashed on top of Mipha pushing her down._

"Momma," The Zora Princess woke in her bedchamber.

Mipha's cheek rested on warm drool. Silk sheets outlined her fetal position. She rocked gently on the waterbed disturbed by her awakening. The same dream always slipped from Mipha's subconscious. Even as a guppy, Mipha woke up in the middle of the night thrashing about. Her sharp nails punctured holes in the waterbed. Beads of freed water swelled into a large puddle on top the deflated bed. Mipha's bed maiden ran into the room cradling the guppy until the tears stopped. The bed maiden then stationed the inhibited young Mipha onto her father, King Doraphan, for the remainder of the night. There, she rested peacefully until Mipha became too old to do such a thing. Sometimes, the tears did not stop. Most of the time, Mipha did not feel anything. She wanted to feel something today. Her coronation began on this very day. A group of outsiders were on arrival for Zora Domain on the orders of King Hyrule. Mipha only heard of the king from her father. From what she understood, King Hyrule never came to a presiding in person. Someone of his Royal Guard came in his place to recite from parchment his rulings. Not only were King Hyrule's Royal Guard arriving but also his Heavenly Soldiers to anoint Mipha as a new member. Mipha believed she did not earn such a right, but she somehow caught King Hyrule's attention.

Sunlight bled through the corners of the drapery. Mipha peeled the curtain from the balcony window to peek at Zora Domain. Spears of sunlight grazed the blue crystal mountains. Its splendor glittered over the fountain pool like sparkling diamonds. A platform of white marble carried this ornamental fountain. It encircled almost the entire platform. Fish built in the inner rim spouted water into the basin. The sound of the gentle lapping water almost put her back to sleep. Guppies ran around and swam in the fountain yelling and hollering to each other. Stairs led down to the bridge, but the spa hid beneath the fountain. Children were often caught sleeping in these spas by amused parents. Mipha walked toward the looking glass to put on her jewelry. Her anklet, bracelet, choker, and finally, her crown to completed the set to become Princess Mipha, Daughter of King Doraphan, heiress to Zora Domain.

Mipha opened the door to the hallway. The walls were made of crystal and the floor of a thick glass. Curtains of waterfalls flowed through the glass into a simulated river. Schools of fish swam beneath her webbed feet. Female Zora huddled near one of these waterfalls. Their idle chatter droned over the soft rushing water. When Mipha approached, the one who spoke last censored her mouth with a hand. One of her eyes hovered on Mipha. She stopped abruptly to allow all her friends to curtsy. Mipha nodded and continued forward. Mipha felt their eyes stalking her. Mipha knew they gossiped about her. She tried not to worry about what the others thought of her today. Mipha wanted the day to be different. Mipha prepared to be judged by the outsiders. Two of them represented their respective races that of the Rito and the Gerudo. The Zora did not get many visitors. Hylians often traded fish or glances when they gazed upon the scenery or the many waterfalls gushing into the pools of clear water. Hardly a Goron in these parts. Mipha entered the fountain area and saw guppies running around chasing each other.

"Mipha!"

"Lady Mipha!"

"Our princess!"

They trapped Mipha in their roundabout of singing and laughing. Infected by their by contagious shrill laughter, she spun around keeping up with their galloping. All happiness left her when the guppies dived into the fountain. Loud splashing water attacked her. It sprayed liquid ballistics that hissed upon impact near Mipha's feet. Quickly, she escaped to the dining hall. She entered the storm of clashing plates and cutlery. Servants set the table with pieces of the feast. They maneuvered around Mipha like an obstruction. Mipha wondered if she risen later than planned. She politely asked for a meal to break her fast. Her inquiry halted an irritable servant. He blew a sharp breath before realizing who spoken to him. He acquiesced to the princess' request. Before long, the servant presented a seated Mipha with a small vegetable omelet seasoned with rock salt. Mipha chewed each gummy piece of egg. Crunchy raw peppers embedded the omelet. She finished less than half the omelette when a guard stopped before the princess. He said the king awaited for her at the throne room.

Like everyone else, Mipha's presence injected a poison that disturbed her father. It corroded the proud facade that masked his anguish. She wanted to thank the servant for the trouble of making her meal but did not find him. Mipha traveled to the throne room where her father, King Doraphan, sat upon his throne. Mipha's father inexplicably towered over everyone. His throne compensated for his girth. He sat between two thrones. One meant for Mipha and the other meant for her mother. It remained empty for the longest time. Mipha felt like an ant compared to her father. A scar grazed his face proving his act of protecting the domain from an invading Guardian or so the story went. Parents often told bedtime stories to their children of that fateful day. Mipha heard it so many times she could recite it herself.

"Mipha," King Doraphan voice echoed in the chamber, "My darling daughter. You're up late. Did you have trouble sleeping again?"

"No father," Mipha lied, "I did not realize this was so. I think I impeded the servants. They're running mad in the dining hall."

"It is of no harm," King Doraphan said, "Our guests have just arrived and on their way as we speak." King Doraphan noticed his daughter's sullen expression. "I am very proud of you, my daughter. The King of Hyrule speaks very highly of you. He expresses to me how impressed he is with your magic and your skill. If only your mother saw you today. She would be overjoyed."

 _Please don't father,_ Mipha thought before saying, "If only..." Mipha felt empty.

"One day," King Doraphan continued. His wrinkles creased, "The honor of queen will be bestowed upon you. You will take your place upon your mother's throne and rule in my place."

"Hopefully that won't happen soon, father."

"You will need to find a proper mate. Has anyone caught your eye? I could arrange something if..."

"No, father."

Steadied, uniformed marching roused their attention. Zora guards paced up the stairs. They diverged into two sets of single filed lines on each side of the room. Armored people with pointed ears came next. They escorted two people. Their caramel skin exhibited their Gerudo race. Each step performed by the Gerudo woman exuded confidence. The other Gerudo, a man, looked identical to his female counterpart, but more beautiful than any woman in the Hyrule realm. His red locks billowed like flames in the wind. He glided with each step. Mipha's heart overwhelmed her with each heavy pound in her breast. Her face felt hot. She almost felt herself smile. A Zora walked passed everybody and unfurled a parchment.

"Lo! We welcome our humble guests to our King of the Zora, Doraphan and, his daughter, Zora Princess, Lady Mipha. Urbosa, the Gerudo chieftan, her twin brother Ganondorf, and..."

"Aren't ya forgetting someone?" A voice hollered.

The throne room generated a gust of wind. This immediate short burst of energy almost knocked the armor clad soldiers over. A voice hollered and everyone looked for the source. In the sky, a dark blue Rito performed backflips and somersaults. His feathers flaked from his body. Caught in a whirlwind, the feathers swirled. The Rito landed in the middle of the gradient. All around him, his feathers fell like flower petals. "I can do my own introduction, thank you! My name is Revali of the proud Rito clan. I'm the greatest archer Hyrule has to offer. I am also the first member anointed as a Heavenly Soldier in King Hyrule's Royal Guard."

"Show boat," the Gerudo named Urbosa sighed and crossed her arms, "It was very rude to leave in the middle of the walk. Why did you decide to disrupt the king's introduction with your own just now?"

"Cause I felt like it. You're welcome," Revali stared at the king and princess while Urbosa spoke to him. Mipha did not like the way the Rito looked at her. It reminded her of the way her subjects looked upon her. Full of judgement. Revali pointed a feather at Mipha. "So, is this the Queen?"

Urbosa elbowed him when she stopped in front of him. Ganondorf eventually stopped beside his twin. _"Stupid!_ " She whispered, _"The Queen is dead! This is her daughter, Princess Mipha! And you should address her as such!"_

"I was going to say," Revali spoke in a normal speaking volume, "You're quite small for a queen, princess. You need a meal. I know I do. My wings are tired after all that flying. Couldn't find my way around."

"You could have just followed us," Urbosa repeated, "Besides, you missed the beautiful landscape. It's like a paradise here!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed our sights," King Doraphan immediately looked to Revali, "And I do apologize for any inconvenience it may have had. We are not familiar with outsiders. However, we are honored to be graced with your presence in the name of King Hyrule. You're our guests and you will be treated as such. Before that, I do believe you have a gift for my daughter?"

A knight from the Royal Guard came forward carrying a blue sash, "We present a gift in the name of King Hyrule. In his words," the soldier unfurled another scroll of parchment, "'I, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule like to thank you for your bravery in accepting my fateful task. I officially appoint you, Princess Mipha, as Hyrule's third Heavenly Soldier and bestow upon you this sacred garb. That blue is the symbol of the Royal Family. One that has been passed down from countless generations. Lead us into the future and protect Hyrule from danger.'" The knight holding the sash came toward Mipha and she accepted.

King Doraphan and Mipha showed their guests to the dining hall where a special meal was prepared. A feast for the eyes. Goat butter glazed over cored apples stuffed with brown sugar. The grilled caramelized skin of a Hylian bass teased Urbosa eyes and nose. She was excited to see a heart shaped radish float over a pool of pink creamy broth. She first tackled a gourmet dish of tender bird meat resting comfortably over fluffy hylian rice. She knew it irked Revali but he peck at the soft boiled ruby red shell of the salt grilled crab. King Doraphan ate his second pumpkin meat pie. Mipha did not expect to feel so happy. Skewers of mushrooms became easy to keep down. Mipha's eye kept trailing over to Urbosa's brother. She almost squeaked whenever their eyes met, but his smile doomed her.

"So, Princess," Revali kept pecking the unbroken shell of the crab, "Are you quite apt in battle?"

"Hmmm?" Mipha looked up at the Rito.

"My daughter is...," King Doraphan began.

"Excuse me, my liege," Revali interrupted, "Your daughter is the princess soon to be queen. She needs to speak on her own behalf."

Mipha said, "My skills are exceptional."

"Just exceptional?" Revali sounded doubtful.

"My daughter is humble, Ser Revali. She may be known for her magic but her skills in combat are a class all of its own. She just needs to believe in herself to unlock that potential."

"Really?" Revali peeled off hardened shards of his crab, "I should better hope so. King Hyrule will hold a tourney to display the princess' combative skills with the world as her audience. You'll be facing a lynel. One of the most ferocious creatures of all the land. That will be the least of your concerns."

"How so?"

"Well, as a Heavenly Soldier, you'll be away from home for a very long time. Your duty demands for you to be on constant command by the king. To protect the land and whatnot. He has been sending me and Urbosa on missions throughout the land so often that we don't have time to see our loved ones. You might as well say goodbye to your family and friends. It's a heavy burden. You will be sad, indeed, but at least your family knows you're protecting them."

This all happened so fast for Mipha. The food began to feel like rocks in her stomach.

"I think the Rito village is much quieter without you," Urbosa pointed out.

"I don't think so" Revali bragged, "They cheer and cry out my name. Rightfully so."

"Are there going to be any other Heavenly Soldiers?" Mipha tried to change the subject. She hoped Urbosa to answer.

"It is only us, hon. King Hyrule, however, is looking for warriors of all the races. The Gorons and Hylians are left. I've heard that the top contender for the Hylians is the most accomplished swordsman of all the land."

"Why didn't King Hyrule come himself?" Mipha asked.

"Why? You don't like our company?" Revali said.

"No, no, I didn't mean that...," Mipha thought she insulted all of them.

"Revali, leave her alone." Urbosa suckled a thigh bone of a bird in front of him, "King Hyrule is a very private man. Always making himself busy. He didn't come to my coronation."

"Nor mine," Revali huffed. He stopped pecking the crab almost wanting to give up, but then continued over Urbosa's talking.

"Please, take no offense from his absence. Besides, it would be a good chance for us girls to chat."

"Why does he need Heavenly Soldiers for his army?" Mipha asked.

Urbosa sighed, "I really don't know, darling. His men came into my desert with the king's proposition and I accepted. I wanted them to anoint my brother as well, but they readily refused. One per race. I don't know why. No one can match my brother in combat," she looked at Mipha wide eyed, "It is said no one has been able to touch him," her smile teased that she perhaps merely jested. Nonetheless, Mipha believed Urbosa.

* * *

King Doraphan called for his guards to escort everyone to Zora Hall. From the outside, the hall looked like their patron deity, Lord Jabu-Jabu, more akin to a whale outside down. It stuck out in the middle of the East Reservoir Lake. The domain's most famous band, The Indigo-Go's, were to play to encourage their princess in her tourney. Mipha sulked the entire way when thinking about the lynel. Most inhabitants entered underwater, but King Doraphan ordered his guests to be taken by boat across the reservoir. It was constructed ten of thousands years ago due to the flooding of the Lanayru province that had plagued the land of Hyrule and Zora's Domain every ten years. The King Zora at the time sought the aid of the king of Hyrule to deal with the problem. They built the reservoir in a short amount of time. Out of gratitude, the King Zora swore to manage the water level of the reservoir to protect all of Hyrule from flooding, an oath that had been kept by each subsequent king for ten thousands years. As a result, the reservoir became a symbol of the Zora's bond with the Kingdom of Hyrule and Hylain people. King Doraphan told Urbosa, Ganondorf, and Revali of this story. Urbosa and her brother listened intently while Revali looked at the scenery seemingly ignoring the King's tale.

The Indigo-Go's pianist, Evan, swore his undying love to Mipha. He narrated his sentiments in ballads and poetry delivered to her bedchamber. Though flattered, Mipha did not reciprocate such feelings. Mipha thought Evan would cease because of this but he persisted. His most recent letter pertained to a piece he composed. Evan promised it to be his greatest work yet. In this letter, Evan promised to complete the melody on the day of her coronation. Curious, Mipha awaited for such a song written in her honor. The hall itself consisted of vast caverns filled with pools and waterfalls. The Indigo-Gos often played in the middle of the concert hall on a giant crystal seashell platform. It sounded relaxing upon arrival. The concert hall looped around the platform. Each band members respective room hid behind the platform. Somebody always got themselves caught trying to get inside the singer's, Lulu's, room. A recital managed the crowd of Zora. As Mipha expected, Lulu remained in her room.

"Mipha! My princess!" Evan yelled. Everyone in the crowd turned to face Mipha. She became stiff. Evan dived into the water around the platform. He sprang from the water in a dramatic fashion landing where the crowd stood. He ran to Mipha and bowed.

"I hope my beloved Princess got here easily," he saw Mipha's blue sash, "Did you receive my letter? I don't believe I congratulated you on your coronation. The blue really suits you."

"Oh, um...thanks," Mipha felt everyone's eyes on her.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Revali chirped.

"Erm," Mipha blushed even deeper, "Yes, I do apologize. This is Revali of the Rito, Urbosa of the Gerudo. They, too, are Heavenly Soldiers. And, Ganondorf, Urbosa's brother."

"Oh," Evan recognized Ganondorf. Evan regarded him in a sharp glance "I've heard of you. I didn't expect someone of your reputation to be so young." He also did not expect Ganondorf to be so handsome. Such beauty seemed otherworldly.

"Don't fret," Ganondorf waved his hand dismissively, "I get that quite a lot. I as well have heard many great things about the Indigo-Go's. I've never heard you in person, to be honest."

"No offense," Evan looked back to Mipha, "Well, you've made many a friend today. I hope they, too, will enjoy what I've written in your name. Literally."

"Hmmm?" Mipha did not understand. She just wanted to talk to Lulu right away and to get away from the crowd.

"You'll see," his pearly white teeth flashed, "More like hear. If you listen very carefully, you'll hear your name. _Mi, fa, Mi, fa, Mi, fa_...I shouldn't spoil it."

"Ah," Mipha decided to ask just now, "May I ask, where is Lulu? I would very much like to speak to her."

"No problem. Like always, she's in her room. Getting ready for the performance."

Mipha thought she might have left too quickly. She excused herself from the others and walked to Lulu's room located directly behind the crystal seashell. She wanted to say "hi" to her dear friend, but also "goodbye". If what Revali said happened to be true, she wanted to reserve a goodbye to her one and only friend in the Domain. A male Zora tried to peek through the peephole of a door with a starfish above it. Before Mipha even noticed him, he ran away. Mipha knocked once lightly and called Lulu's name. A Zora in a black laced dress opened the door.

"Mipha," Lulu crossed her arms, "I thought you were that stalker. You were lucky I didn't punch you. I've been trying to get security to handle him. Did you see him?"

At first Mipha did not know what Lulu meant then remembered the Zora that just ran away "Oh, I think so. May I come in?"

"Sure, whatever keeps me from going on stage. Did you see that crowd? I'm kinda nervous." She fanned herself and took quick breaths.

Mipha stepped inside. Mipha's webbed feet sunk into the sand. Colorful corals, cloth, tables, couches, and wall-hangings made of seashells, and water features filled the room. She had a desk with a lure fish lamp on it. On the seat opposite of the desk, Lulu's dairy laid open. Mipha sat down taking deep breaths.

"That's a beautiful sash," Lulu noticed it draped over Mipha, "Does that come in black?" She expected Mipha to smile but she did not, "You should be happy. Your father is happy. Your mother would be..."

"Would she?" Mipha looked down at the diary. She tried to read it. The fresh ink seeped into the page. Lulu must have written this just before Mipha knocked on the door. Something about Evan.

"Of course. Why wouldn't she. You're not?"

"I thought I would be." Mipha saw herself in the looking glass, "Don't I?" She looked again at the diary. Evan written a song he wanted Lulu to give her opinions on.

"Did you have those dreams again? Last night?"

Mipha took a moment to answer, "Every morning, Lulu, I still call out to her. I-I sometimes even look for her like a lost little girl. I'm still lost. I don't know if I'm ready to be a Heavenly Solider. I have to fight at a tourney today against a lynel. A furious beast in front of everyone. Not just the Zora but the entire realm. I don't know if accepting was good idea."

"You're the best fighter I know, Mipha. It won't be a problem for you. Everyone will know today who will be protecting the realm. The Zora will know who their princess is."

"Even so, they don't believe in me. They talk about me, Lulu. They whisper of the Zora who...,"

"You still think that?" Lulu raised her voice over Mipha's, "You're always like this. Even when we were guppies, but you got to stop being too hard on yourself. You think you deserve to be punished. And for what? Because..."

"Please don't," Mipha said quietly. Her lip trembled. Her gaze returned to the diary. She knew Lulu would not stop, but Mipha did not want to listen. Evan written a song he had been practicing day and night. Mipha thought of the very song Evan written in her name.

"I know you don't want to hear it," the very last thing Lulu wanted to do was to make her princess cry, but Lulu needed to speak to her as a friend, "but its something I feel like I need to tell you. I look at you and I never see you smile anymore. Not even when you should. You even look skinnier. You're small enough."

 _"Stop it,"_ Mipha thought. Evan's name appeared more as Mipha read the passage. He and Lulu practiced more and more together.

"Your father is very worried about you. He comes to me just to ask how you are doing. Me! Of all people! He says you tell him you're 'fine' but he doesn't believe you. I don't know what to say to him, because you don't..."

" _Why did I come here? What advice was I looking for?"_ The writing on the page became blurry. The ink smeared on the droplets of tears. Lulu wrote about Mipha's coronation and mentioned that Evan does not care. Evan related to Lulu that Mipha does not respond to his love notes. Nary a single reply. Mipha did not even have the courtesy to turn him down. Evan became aware of Mipha's absence in the domain. How does a princess plan to rule a domain if she does not respond to the voice of her people? Lulu does not know how to respond to that, but agreed anyway. She listened to Evan's plight more often. Lulu believed that Evan became smitten by how well she listens. Evan wrote a song about Lulu he intended to play at the concert to swear his undying love. The last thing Lulu writes about is Evan's revenge, but no specifics given. Was this all a game? She hated this day. Mipha wanted to crawl back under the covers to hide from the world.

"...I worry about you, may not feel it, but there are people who care about you. Me, Japas, Tijo, Toto, and Evan. And your father of course. No one cares more about you than your father."

Please stop," Mipha said quietly. She stopped the tears from ruining the diary entry.

"It's not your fault, Mipha," Lulu wanted to at least tell her that, "You were just a...,"

Mipha quickly got up from the seat dashing past Lulu. Before she ran through the door, she said, "Goodbye, dear friend."

Mipha gently dabbed her tears with the sash. The tumultuous crowd blocked out all her thoughts. It became too much. Their bodies became walls blocking her. They sucked in the very air Mipha needed. She wanted to leave. She wanted to go home. Mipha slammed into a few Zora. As soon as they saw their princess, they quickly apologized. She did not want to be a Heavenly Soldier. She did not deserve it. She thought of herself so foolish. Mipha slammed again into a someone with enough force she fell over. She looked up and saw Ganondorf.

"My apologies, your grace." He leaned forward offering a hand, "I did not see you there. We've been looking for you. The concert is about to begin. Don't forget, it's all for you." Mipha stood up with her head down.

"I'm sorry. I was speaking with my friend. It...went differently than I expected."

"Things often do," Ganondorf wiped her remaining tears away. "Are you sure you're quite alright?" Ganondorf lifted her chin. She became awestruck by his beauty. All her troubles went away and she forgot why she even cried in the first place.

"Uhhh," She shook her head and took a deep breath, "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Ganondorf. You needn't worry about me."

"If you say so, your grace."

Ganondorf turned and waved his hand at Urbosa, Revali, and King Doraphan to come over.

Urbosa noticed Mipha's puffy eyes, "Are you all right, hon?"

Mipha sniffed, "Yes. I'm sorry if I caused a stir."

"That's okay," Urbosa looked at the crystal seashell. The band members fumbled around with their equipment. "The concert is just about to begin."

"Did everything go alright with Lulu?" King Doraphan asked curiously.

"Yes, father." Mipha's eyes were solemn.

She saw Lulu on the stage adjusting the microphone. Lulu looked at Evan who set up his piano. The room darkened. The storm of chatter abated. A funnel of pink light pointed down at Evan. The others were opaque in the darkness. Like all Zora, Mipha had an ear for music. The Indigo-Go's never disappointed a crowd even during a long solo composed entirely by one member. The song he played was melancholic. Unlike what Evan pointed out, Mipha did not hear her name in the solemn notes. Mipha remembered the diary entry in Lulu's room. Mipha tried to see Lulu in the darkness. Her blackened image remained frozen. Mipha felt sad not because of Evan's song. He was sweet to make a song in her honor, but a brute if Lulu's diary were true. The Hall brightened up. Lulu smiled in admiration. Every one cheered and clapped even for a short piece.

A loud noise produced from drums scaring Mipha. The waterfalls of different flashing colors fell from all sides. Water sprayed around the platform. The intensity of each burst amplified by the how loud or soft each pound of the drum commenced. It became too loud and frightening to Mipha. She and the others stood from the front. She stepped away from the splashing water. Water squirted at all directions. The flashing lights reminded Mipha of lightning. The water surrounding the platform became agitated and crashed against the platform. Each wave became bigger. The others hollered when they felt the water crash on them. Mipha wanted to scream. The water pushed against her making it difficult to utter a single word.

 _Mom!_

 _Mommy!_

 _Help me!_

 _No one came. Mipha did not stop crying. She stopped talking to the others. She did not want to leave her room. She did not want to come out and play. At night, Mipha screamed at the top of her lungs. A Zora's voice called out. She sat on her bed in a darkened bedchamber. Mipha stared blankly ahead. A light came from underneath her bedroom door. Voices muffled back and forth. She recognized her father's voice. The other belonged to a physician._

 _"Physically, she's quite healthy. My her mind...these sort of things are hard for someone of my practice to understand. From what I understand from you, she's completely withdrawn. If this behavior continues, it will eventually effect her body. Malnutrition. Worse case scenario, self-harm. Your best course of action, my liege, is to be with her at all times. Watch over her and if you can't have someone close to you do it. Someone she or you can trust."_

 _"I'll trust your judgment. Thank you. If there is anything I can do to make my daughter well again, I'll do it."_

 _"Is there anything that may have caused this erratic behavior?"_

Mipha huddled at the end of the hall away from the concert. Across from her, a pool of water led people in and out of the Hall. Mipha held tightly to her arms. Her nails pierced her skin. She did not notice the pain. Mipha wanted to leave, but that required swimming. The very idea disturbed her. Each splash a Zora made entering the Hall almost made her scream. Hopefully, they did not see her.

"Mipha?" A voice called to her. It belonged to Urbosa. Mipha looked up at the Gerudo who towered over her. "Darling," she said sweetly. Urbosa sat on the floor with her, "Are you not enjoying the show? It's in your name after all."

Mipha lowered her head, "No, it's not," Did Evan rig the mechanism to spout such excessive water? Those flashing lights. Was this the revenge Lulu wrote about? Mipha felt so shameful. Only Lulu knew of such things about her. How could Lulu betray her princess' trust? Her best friend? She hated them, but it was not them she should blame.

"There, there," Urbosa said warmly, "Your father told us of this. Your grieving." Mipha turned her head away lip quivering. "Now, no one ever truly gets over the death of their mother. We just get better at hiding it."

"If I may ask, how much did he really tell you?"

"Well, as much as he knew."

"I'm sorry, but then you know very little."

"I think I really freaked her out," another familiar voice said. It sounded like Evan.

"That was almost too much," Mipha's heart broke, "She ran away like a frightened hen!"

"She wasn't interested at all of our gig. Is that kind of gratitude befitting of a Queen? If only her mother could see her."

Urbosa darted up and revealed herself to the band members, "Ingrates!" Mipha wished she had not peeked from behind Urbosa. Evan and Lulu looked frightened. "Is that how you speak of your Princess? Your future queen? If you were my people on my land, I would cut out your tongues!" Evan nor Lulu knew what to say. Lulu saw Mipha's sullen gaze on her. "Don't look at her! Look at me!"

"Who are you?" Evan spoke angrily.

"Who am I? I am Urbosa! Chieftain of the Gerudo! And you are but lowly peasants. What kind subjects speak in such a way of their leader? When she is most vulnerable? Have you not noticed? Hmm? I asked you a question!"

"Look, lady, I just got off from a gig. If you want to...,"

"Don't ask me what I want!"

"Who are you again?"

"Look," Lulu cut in, "I'm sorry. We're all tired. We...we were just heading backstage for some food. You're welcome to join us..."

Urbosa ignored Lulu, "Look upon my skirt. What do you notice?" Evan did not look at her skirt, "I am also a Heavenly Soldier. This blue symbolizes the bond we Heaven Soldiers' share. Mipha proudly wears that garb to show her dedication in protecting Zora Domain. As do I in regard to the Gerudo Desert. You shall show your gratitude by respecting your princess in partaking in such a harrowing task. She'll be out there in the dangerous world while you toil away in your so called band."

"Look, I don't need this. C'mon Lulu." Evan turned around almost walking into Ganondorf.

"I do believe you shall listen to my sister," Ganondorf's smile cut though Evan, "You do not wish for her to unleash her fury on thee." Shaken, Evan held Lulu's hand and left without a word. Lulu took one last look at Mipha. Ganondorf stepped forward and held Mipha's hand. His thumb brushed gently against the back of her hand.

"How are you truly feeling, your grace." Mipha wanted to melt into Ganondorf's arms.

She almost felt faint. Mipha smiled. "I'm fine. Thank you. Both of you."

Her own smile felt unfamiliar.

* * *

Whoever wielded the Light Scale Trident held great power. This divine attribute passed down through generation after generation by the royal line, Mipha naturally honed her skills with the trident. Its true origins remained shrouded in mystery. Legends surrounding it tell of three Hynox siblings crafting the weapon. The oldest, a black Hynox, built it first. He worked on it for centuries until he became too old to handle a tool. The middle sibling, a blue Hynox, started where his older brother left off. The youngest, a red Hynox, however, grew impatient of his blue brother and snuck off with the weapon during a thunderstorm and craft what remained of the trident. He wanted to finish the weapon faster than his two older brothers. It seemed all for naught. His brother surely caught on to his little brother's machinations. The red Hynox prayed to Farosh the lightning spirit to make him work faster. A lightning bolt from the ensuing storm then struck. The lightning imbued the trident with mystical power. It finished by itself. Some say each prong represented these Hynox and others believed they represented the rivers, streams, and seas all over Hyrule. Every member of the royal Zora line possessed the power to control those waters, the lightning, and even create hurricanes. Mipha did not believed she possessed such power. Mipha feared the lightning god.

Mipha remained in the hypogeum below the colosseum. Everyone from the four corners of Hyrule awaited for the Zora princess. Mipha heard their cheers. She also thought about the monster that waited in its cage. Mipha took deep breaths. She open her eyes at the only weapon presented to her, the Light Scale Trident. Mipha did not want to face that creature. She wanted to wait until everyone grew impatient and leave, but that did not seem right. She grew curious of Ganondorf's bout. Her bout began after his. She wanted to be ready before Ganondorf finish just to see how well this beautiful man fought in combat. Mipha finally stood up and took the Light Scale trident. Even in the small amount of light, the trident shined like a rainbow. Her fingers slid down the iridescent pearl surface. She felt like it could break in her hands.

Mipha walked down the darkened hall. A shadowy figured leaned against the wall. Its features became more clear the closer Mipha approached. The avian shape turned out to be Revali. She thought he sat with crowd watching Ganondorf.

"Ser Revali," Mipha stopped beside him, "You're not going to watch Ganondorf fight?"

"We both know he will win. He always wins." Revali said bitterly. He looked at Mipha, "I see that you're in a rush to see him. You didn't come to see my bout."

"Err...I was getting ready. I apologize for not...,"

"Stop apologizing all the time. It's really annoying."

"I'm...," Mipha stopped herself before apologizing.

Revali sighed, "Go, you'll miss your lover's fight."

Mipha blushed heavily, but wasted no time on any objection. She continued toward the vomitorium.

"Before I forget," Revali continued, "You're afraid of water."

Mipha froze.

"That's odd for a Zora. Even more odd for the Princess and newly anointed Heavenly Soldier of the Zora." Mipha almost asked how he knew. "Go on say it," Revali continued, "'Revali! Your powers of deduction is too great! How ever did you know of my secret?' Well, princess, it was obvious during the concert. I thought you were reacting to the droll music of that band, but it's more than that. Care to tell me? Its important for us Heavenly Soldiers to get to know each other." He looked at a speechless Mipha, "Do not worry. I won't tell too many people."

Mipha hurried off. More than anything, she did not want hear anymore from Revali. How can someone be so cruel?

The crowd got louder. The light spewing from the vomitorium got brighter. Mipha stopped at the very edge of the opening. Everyone from Hyrule appeared on the stands. Urbosa sat with the Gerudo women each more beautiful than the next. Mipha never realized how gigantic the Gorons were. Even the children. Her own people easily stood out among those who attended. Mipha spotted her father. He towered over everyone. Next to him, sat the Legendary Demon Sargent, Seggin. He is known as such because of his immunity to electricity which otherwise was fatal to the Zora. Seggin personally trained Mipha when she became of age to wield the LightScale Trident. Impressed with Mipha's own talent, the Demon Sargent looked upon Mipha as his own kin. Mipha feared she might disappoint him today. In single combat even Mipha recognized her talent but not in front of crowds. Everyone counted on her to prove her ability.

Mipha lost herself watching Ganondorf. He performed each attack with such grace, Mipha saw his battle against a Darknut as a dance. Ganondorf's golden armor sparkled in Mipha's eyes. Ganondorf's sword sliced through the Darknut's black armor like cloth. When Ganondorf cut down the armor to the chainmail, the dark nut threw his heavy broadsword at Ganondorf. He dodged it. The Darknut unsheathed a second smaller sword and became faster. Ganondorf unleashed one final blow and the Darknut fell defeated. Mipha wished the fight lasted longer, but clapped along with the crowd. They cried out his name. He bowed and approached Mipha. Mipha corrected her posture trying to stop her heart from beating too fast. He smiled that same smile from before.

"Good luck," He said to her, "Urbosa and I will be cheering for you."

Mipha felt more confident. She actually believed in herself.

The colosseum accommodated for the Zora. A trench that looped around the colosseum filled with water. Four soldiers came out of a vomitorium struggling with something resisting in the darkness. One soldier pulled forward into the void, then the other. One of them flew in the air like a rag doll and plummeted to the ground. The two remaining soldiers ran away in panic. A lynel jumped out into plain view. Mipha never saw a lynel up close. A body of a horse, a torso of a man, and a head of lion formed this furious creature. Its long flowing mane signaled its fighting success. Scars badged its body. It eyes remained deadlocked on Mipha. It waited for her to move growling at her. Its hooves kicked up dirt. Mipha thought it might attack. It unslung a mace. Without warning, it charged at Mipha with blinding speed. It swung its mace at Mipha but she backflipped to dodge. _"Wooohhh!"_ The crowd cried. The lynel turned around and swiped at Mipha. Mipha thrusted her spear but only attacked air. Mipha did not expect such a large creature to be so fast. Mipha's small frame allowed her to move quickly, smoothly, and naturally like water.

Mipha thrusted her spear again at the beast, but it grabbed the head of the spear and threw the comparatively tiny Zora over itself. Mipha slammed against the sand. She lost her grip on the trident and now the lynel held it in its hand. It tossed it aside and charged at Mipha. It reached out its claws at her. Mipha's body slammed against the lynel flinging her into the air. It hoisted her further into the air with its head. _"Ooohhhh"_ the crowd cringed. A sharp pain snagged her back side. The lynel's horn pierced her skin. Nothing the healers could not fix. Mipha's body twisted in pain on the ground. She wanted this to end. Her confidence meant nothing. She wanted to hide in the water. She wanted to run away. Why did she think she would win? Why did she accept the sash? Mipha felt she embarrassed her kind. Mipha finally stood up spotting the nearest exit. The lynel roared. Mipha looked behind her seeing the lynel facing her. It look a deep breath and spat out a ball of fire. Mipha twirled around dodging it and again for the other ball of fire but much slower. The fire singed her fingers. She forced another dodge for the third and final ball of fire.

The sun dipped behind the colosseum walls. An exhausted Mipha felt it easier to ignore the pain at her back. Her movements became slower. This forced Mipha to engage the lynel in close combat. It did not charge at her while she did this. The lynel swung its mace at her. Mipha caught it between the prongs of her trident, but the lynel's great strength slipped Mipha's trident out her sweaty hands. It landed near the lynel. The lynel punched Mipha in the stomach. The force pushed her several feet. Mipha tried to stand up. She wanted to end this all. Mipha ran for the water, but slipped in the sand. Mipha grew faint. She heard the heavy hoofs on the sand getting closer. Mipha saw the lynel coming for her. With no way to reach the water in time, she closed her eyes and put her hands in front of her face. A sound of rushing water commenced then nothing. The lynel's charging hooves stopped. Mipha opened her eyes and saw the lynel frozen in water. It stayed permanently in a frightful position. Neither it or Mipha realized what happened. She did not notice the cheers of the crowd calling out,

"Mipha!"

Mipha instead noticed the pain at her side where the horn lodged itself into her. Her feet squished into bloodied sand.

"Our Princess!"

A puddle of dark blood formed on top of the sand. More must have fell out of her when she ran around the colosseum evading the lynel. She felt light. The sound of cheers faded.

"Princess Mipha!"

Mipha fainted.


	3. Chapter II: Around the World

_Rocks slammed against her. It became too much so she decided to let the river carry her wherever it saw fit. Something pulled her against the river's tide. The blurry underwater became clear and the world flipped all around her._

 _Mommy!_

 _Help me!_

 _Mommy!_

"Mom," Mipha said. The sun blinded Mipha. She rocked unsteadily on a moving vehicle.

Sunlight tried to breach through a forest canopy. Mipha tried to get up, but the pain struck her suddenly. She searched for the wound, but felt nothing.

"Oh! You're finally awake darling. Did you enjoy your beauty sleep?" Mipha recognized Urbosa's voice. Urbosa looked over the seat of the cart they apparently ridden on. A Hylian knight held the reins tied to a horse.

"Where are we?"

"We're on a trip to see King Hyrule's royal scientist," Urbosa explained. "It's part of your first mission." I tried to convince the Hylian knights to wait until you awoke, but they said it was a direct order from King Hyrule himself. We left directly after your tourney. Congratulations, by the way. I was very impressed by your power. Everyone thought you would die at the end. I looked away when that lynel hurled itself at you, but I opened my eyes not to find a pretty stain, but a lynel frozen solid. Ganon sung his praises."

Mipha managed to sit herself up. She never wanted to fight another lynel in her life. She never wanted to fight ever again. She did not understand what happened at the last moment. She understood her victory as a fluke. The LightScale Trident rested beside Mipha on top of her neatly folded and cleaned sash. She donned the sash and held the trident on her lap.

"What about my father?" Mipha said disheartened.

"He was very proud of you and your victory," Urbosa said.

It did not matter to Mipha. She did not know long it would be to see her father again or her home. She wanted to at least give a proper goodbye to him. The world did not allow her even that.

The world outside her domain enchanted Mipha. Crystal mountains isolated the domain from the rest of the world. Here, the forest opened to a writhing blue sky over a village. Pure white clouds billowed aimlessly. The air tasted different. At the Domain, the wind carried salt from the waters. This wind tasted sweet. It slowly pushed the vanes of the monolithic windmills that populated the village. It disturbed the path of the pollen sailing by. Not only the flowers but the agriculture, too, made Mipha agape. Many farmers carried large pumpkins, tomatoes, and squash. A forest of wheat grew on the soil of a house's garden. The wool of a sheep blinded Mipha due to how white its sheen gleamed in the sun. The wool bounced to each step the sheep made. It seemed so soft that one breeze could carry off the sheep like a cloud. She saw children chasing each other laughing. One of them stopped to stare at the Zora Princess. He waved at her before catching up to his friends. The sights continued to impress Mipha as they carted up a hill. Hyrule stretched for miles. A very large red mountain dominated the view even from very far away. She felt so small in this new world.

The hill led to a small dwelling at the base of a windmill. A blue furnace built next to the door glowed. Mipha never seen such a thing. It appeared too advanced to exist. Curiouser, the body of an automaton rested near the furnace. Mipha also did not know what it could be. In front of the house, Revali waited with his wing's crossed.

"It's about time," he chirped.

The cart stopped in front of the dwelling. Urbosa ignored Revali to assist Mipha from the cart down to the ground. Mipha stood on her own and walked over to the automaton. Moss dressed the yellow markings over the rusted brown surface. Mipha heard a buzzing noise when near the automaton. She approached closer making it louder.

 _"..."_

 _"...o..."_

 _"...o...w.."_

 _"...he...m..."_

Mipha heard this in her head. It became clearer as she put her ear closer to the automaton.

"Hey, princess!" Revali yelled, "It's just a hunk of junk."

Revali knocked on the door. They heard a loud crash through the door. Shuffling commenced getting louder towards the door. The door creaked open. The Heavenly Soldiers saw nothing.

"Dooowwnnn heeerrreee!" A girl voice said several feet below them. A little girl in a white dress, and a frilled skirt looked up at them with red eyes behind large glasses.

"Um," Urbosa did not expect a child, "We are looking for King Hyrule's royal scientist, Purah. Do you know if she's here or not?"

"Oh!" the little girl jumped in her doll shoes, "I know where she is! She's in that room!" She pointed at a door at the far left corner of the room. "Don't be shy go on in!"

Mipha followed Urbosa and Revali inside. An entire library waited for them. Towers of books piled on the floor. Parchments, documents, scrolls all strewn about in this small living quarters. These papers draped the table in the middle of the room. An entire wall consisted of a chalkboard. Chicken scratch covered the chalkboard under a layer of white powder. The little girl pointed her small finger to the door. Revali led the way to the door opening it. Mipha looked from behind Urbosa. The three only saw an empty laboratory with test beakers filled with different colored liquids.

"There's nobody in here, kid." Revali said.

"Oh!" the girl sung, "Then maybe she's behind door number two!" She pointed at a door opposite from them. Revali rolled his eyes impatiently and led the others to that door. He opened it to almost be crushed by an avalanche of screws, gears, shafts and other mechanical materials. Everyone jumped out the way while the parts spilled all over the floor.

"That's the broom closet," the kid pondered with a finger to her lip, "Okay, I am one hundred and one...though that's impossible, percentages can't reach higher than a hundred..."

"On with it kid," Revali grew frustrated.

"All right, all right, grumpy, she's upstairs." She pointed up.

The three walked up the spiral stairs. Creaking from the windmill echoed from the topmost point of the tower. Birds roosted on the windowsills high up. Some flew in and out. Their cooing ensued. Mipha became disoriented looking all the way up.

"Wait! Wait!" The child's voice echoed all the way from downstairs. "I found her! She's down here!" She halted Revali ascent.

"I'm going to kill that kid," Revali huffed.

The three walked down stairs back to the kid. They grew impatient, Revali most of all. They saw no scientist just the kid looking up at them scrupulously. She examined their every movement like she was taking mental notes of their behavior.

"All right kid," Revali put his wings to his hips, "Enough horsing around. Where is the scientist? We grown ups are on an important mission sent out by King Hyrule. Do you know who that is?"

"Of course," the kid said giggling. "I'm his royal scientist."

"Nice one kid, but a snot nose brat like you wouldn't know a test from a culture tube."

"Actually they're same thing. My name is Purah," she twirled around playfully, "The reason why I look like a child is because one of my experiments went wrong or...," she then talked absent mindedly, "I guess you can call it a success. You see I wanted to make an age reversal rune so that I could make veterans of the Hyrule Royal Guard young again to fight. King Hyrule has been a real slavedriver lately and asked me to make one. I've been using technology salvaged from decayed guardians."

"Guardians?" Mipha asked. Mipha only heard of them from the stories her bed maiden told her about. Mipha never realized they were actually real.

"Those spider like automatons? You probably saw the husk of one when you came in here."

"But...it was in pain," Mipha did not think it actually talked, but tried to form words.

"Impossible," Purah raised an eyebrow, "They aren't sentient. Unless you actually believe those stories...Oh!" Purah jumped in the air and ran toward Mipha. She stopped too close for her comfort. Purah adjusted her glasses and looked up and down at Mipha slowly inspecting every inch of her. Mipha became self conscious, "You're a Zora! Truly fascinating! I was told that the new Heavenly Soldier came from the Zora. I heard that you can heal with a single touch. Would you mind staying for a while so I can reproduce it somehow?"

"Oh, you can't perform healing, It's magic only a few Zora are gifted with."

"Hmmm, don't underestimate me just because I look like a kid," then Purah muttered to herself, "Though, that's a logical conclusion to make when looking at a child," she then acknowledged Mipha again, "Magic is science we just can't explain yet."

"Can we just get this over with," Revali said, "The king said you have important details regarding the Guardians. They've been causing a stir in villages throughout Hyrule. The King says you've detected guardian activity at a specific location. Can't you give us the information so we can get out of here."

"Don't mind my feathered friend. He just can't take a joke. This place, however, seems pretty peaceful," Urbosa said, "Has the village been attacked by Guardians?"

"Yes, but not by Guardians. I would love to see a fully operational one. Alas, only large wolves have been attacking our live stock, but mostly knights. Bokoblins as well have been stealing what's left of the sheep."

"Large wolves?" Urbosa said.

"Great big monsters," Purah set her arms apart, "This big! It's proposterous what the villagers say. I wish I could see them for myself. As for your Guardians, I have been quite busy with inventing a scouter that can track the Guardians in a wide radius. Wide enough to track them all throughout Hyrule. Come with me if you wish to see the fruits of my genius."

Everyone followed Purah into the same laboratory on the other side of the broom closet. Purah looked through the contents of a cabinet throwing equipment behind her. She nearly missed each of the Heavenly Soldiers until she grabbed magnifying eyeless. Purah looked around with enlarged eyes behind the glasses. She stumbled about for a stool. The stool's legs scrapped against the floor. She climbed on top of the stool in front of a partially made device. Sparks flew from the tools she used.

"Curious things these ancient materials," Purah said to no one in particular, "Takes this ancient screw for example," she held up a pristine screw between her tiny fingers, "No matter how many times I've turned these screws, there is no indication of any wear on the threads. Makes me wonder who produced them and how."

Purah continued to mutter to herself as she worked on the device. Any coherent word that sounded scientific went over their heads.

"Put this doohickie here. Screw this doodad extra extra tight."

Purah then jumped from the chair. Everyone stepped aside to allow her through. Everyone followed Purah into the main room. There, she put the device under on a pedestal no one noticed. A long slab of rock stuck out from the ceiling. The slab of rock began to vibrate in response to the device. Glowing blue glyphs rained down from the slab of rock to the end. A tiny blue droplet formed and dropped onto the device. A loud screeching noise commenced. Everyone covered their ears. The glass test beakers and windows broke into a hundreds of pieces spilling on the floor. Liquids splattered from their contents. The whole world seemed to shake under them. The piles of books, the chalkboard, and one of the shelves of books collapsed. It quickly stopped.

Purah looked at everyone through her broken glasses. She took the device from the pedestal and closed the panel. She used a screwdriver to screw it close. She examined the front of the device.

"Eureka!" She jumped for joy, "One Guardian scanner just like the king ordered!"

She gave it to Mipha. It resembled a large cylindrical compass. A grid lined a blue screen. Outside the screen, a copper metal protected the delicate mechanism inside.

"What does it do?"

"The Guardians give a electromagnetic pulse that can be detected with that device. There is a huge reading northwest of here. A lot of inactive Guardians piled up on the radar when I was tinkering with it. It caused it to short circuit, but I made it work."

"So we can be on our way now," Revali said, but the house rumbled.

A blue laser cut through the dwelling nearly missing Revali. Pieces of parchment rained down on fire to the floor. The spider-like automaton known as a Guardian crashed through the front door. Its broken appendages flailed and spewed a blue liquid.

"Incredible," Purah cried, "but also impossible. I've taken out most of the parts. However can the husk still move?"

Urbosa held Purah down with her on the floor. The Guardian shot another beam but at nothing particular. It cut the table in half. Revali flew around dodging the blue light. He drew his bow and fired a couple arrows but failed to penetrate its metal body. The head of the Guardian twisted around. It somehow noticed where the arrows came from. It charged at Revali but he simply ascended. The Guardian twisted its head in confusion. Mipha did not know what to do. It proved too dangerous to approach at close range. Revali flew around firing arrow after arrow, but nothing happened. The Guardian charged its beam. It's single blue eye shined brighter and brighter, but a well placed arrow dead in the eye stunned the automaton. Its head twisted again. It charged at Revali, but he swiftly dodged it. It crashed through the wall. Outside, the Guardian hurled itself at the cliff. Its blue beam fired at all directions during its fall. It sliced through the mountain, and the blade of the windmill. It crashed into the ceiling and flew down toward the path leading to the village. Large pieces of rock fell after the guardian. The guardian tumbled down the mountain to the coastline. It rolled on its side until it stopped moving.

Purah ran toward the cliff. She looked down trying to see through the shattered perspective of her glasses. "Hmmm...," she muttered, "Interesting."

"What was that?" Urbosa and the others looked over the cliff with Purah.

"A new discovery! You three are my witnesses." she yawned while she walked toward the house, "I need a nap."

"I don't think its wise to go near that dear," Mipha warned. The ceiling finally gave way, but Purah ran with arms stretched out, "Apparently, the Guardians can function independently...," her voice faded away.

Revali muttered loud enough for the others to hear, "I'm never having kids. Let's look for that Guardian Radar before we gather a crowd."

Mipha worried about Purah, but continued following the others.

* * *

Mipha became mystified by the wide world. Sunlight cascaded on seas of emerald grass. It glittered like diamonds over the many lakes and ponds that made Mipha homesick already. Tall roaming mountains seemed to follow them far from away. They traversed through a mountain split in two halves. Revali told her that these dueling mountains were one conjoined mountain. Legends tell of a dragon god forged a way through this mountain and thus created the two she saw before her. They stayed at the stable neighboring this peak. The morning after their stay, the sun rays streamed through the wedge between the mountains. They crossed beside a river passing between these peaks. One of the more mysterious sights Mipha witnessed were the large walls that armored a plateau. White fog hovering high above the monolithic walls layered the depth of its mystery. Mipha's second night at a stable, a blue aura emanated from a mountain south of her. She awoke from a nightmare that night. She sat on the wooden crates outside the stable gazing at the blue aura. Mipha wanted to go to these places, climb that mountain, or just look upon the beauty that almost made her cry.

Mipha listened the first time when Revali told her and Urbosa to stop looking over his to shoulder to check the Guardian Scouter. Urbosa did not listen and continued anyway until Revali swooped into the sky. The beep started slow, but by the third day it beeped faster. They all stopped by the end of the day at another stable. They met several travelers providing little to no new information about an ancient temple. Mipha did not sleep well even on more expensive soft bed. Surrounded by a ring of trees, the third stable was like the others. They spotted it by the large horse head built above the stable. Travelers huddled by the soft warm glow of the fire settled beneath a cooking pot. Horses tried to sleep in their pen while children harassed before their parent hurried them off to bed. Inside, the circular space filled with a ring of beds. Only Urbosa slept in a bed of the each stable they stayed in. Revali perched himself on the nose of the horse head. Mipha meanwhile tried to sleep, but everything kept her up. Her surroundings, the noises, and people were all foreign. Being the only Zora, she felt out of place.

At this particular stable, a small pond caught Mipha's eye. She remained afloat. The sash spread wide inflated by trapped air. She thought of home. Her father. Did he worry? Of course, he had. Selfishly, Mipha felt better not seeing him. She did not have to see the anguish he hid from the other Zora. Her absence did not change a thing for the domain itself. It then came to her attention that she did not see a single one of her kind or felt their judgement or heard her name in hushed tones. They remained at the Domain while she floated on the other side of Hyrule. Realizing this made it easier to sleep that night.

By morning, Mipha hummed thoughtfully. She slowly ebbed toward the thriving plant life. A thump on the ground disturbed her peace, _I found her,_ the faraway voice belonged to Revali. _I think she's sleeping in the pond. Do Zora do that?_

 _I don't know_ Urbosa said. _The poor thing kept mumbling in her sleep. At the other stables too. Her tossing and turning woke me up. She must not like the bed._

 _Mumbling? More like snoring. She did that on our way to the kid genius. That's why I flew the entire way._

 _She wasn't snoring, idiot! She...kept saying something over and over._

 _Well, for someone so quiet she surely_ mutters _really loud in her sleep._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Didn't King Doraphan tell you that?_

 _No...or...I wasn't paying attention to that oversized beast of a fish._

 _Ugh...you never pay attention unless someone is talking about you._

 _I'm sorry, are we giving opinions on our new anointed ally or are we just stating facts?_

 _..._

 _She's...weird, but at least she doesn't talk more than necessary._

 _What are you implying?_

 _..._

 _..._

 _It looked like she did that on accident. That lynel would have maimed her if she didn't do...whatever she did._

 _If it were you..._

 _I never make any accidents! Everything I do is out of pure skill! She did not win due to any ability or skill. Her skill with a trident is flashy, I'll give her that, but don't confuse that with skill._

 _Shhh!_

Mipha dried her sash on a woman's clothes line. She sat with Urbosa and Revali around the cooking pot. Urbosa offered her leftovers from her and Revali's meal. Mipha nibbled a boiled egg on the cart. Curiously, an isolated storm raged at an area with pillars oddly shaped like mushrooms. The oral arms from the grey clouds dragged across the sky. Lightning flashed every so often. Mipha hoped this temple did not reside there. She lost her appetite. The cart soon stopped in front of a gorge. The Guardian Scouter vibrated in Revali's wing feathers. He pointed it toward the deep gorge. The gash divided the earth about a mile wide. Snowy mountains resided on the other side. From where they stood, it continued north several miles while it appeared endless down south. Revali moved the scouter south which made the scouter vibrate less and so he tried north of the gorge. The intensity of the vibration increased so much, it caused his wing to vibrate.

"Looks like we're here," Revali put away the scouter, "That obnoxious kid knows her stuff."

Urbosa and Mipha departed from the cart. They each inspected the depth of the gorge.

"That's pretty deep," Urbosa said and looked at Mipha who stood next to her. "Are you ready, hon?"

"I think so," Mipha felt stupid. She wanted to ask why they needed to go into this gorge, but decided not to in fear of appearing incompetent. She should have asked at the laboratory, but forgotten.

"If you need anything," Urbosa suggested, "Food. Water. Get it now. We'll be here awhile." She called over to the knight still sitting on the cart. He did not move an inch. "Do you any reserves left in the cart. This lady hasn't eaten much." The knight did not move, "Didn't you hear me?" Urbosa walked over to the knight. She placed her hand on his shoulder to move him, "Hey, are you..." she saw a dart in his neck. Urbosa let go of him. He fell on the ground lifeless.

Urbosa jumped out of way dodging a set of darts. The pointed ends stuck to the wood. "It's the Yiga!" The three heavenly soldiers looked around in the vast empty field. "I prefer to fight my enemies head on," Urbosa yelled, "Come out coward!"

From nowhere, sword swung at Urbosa. She dodged it at the last second. She pushed Mipha away. Strands of Urbosa's hair flew in the air. A man wearing a full body suit and a mask ran twoard Urbosa. She grabbed the hilt of her scimitar before realizing a second man jumped from behind him. The two masked men ran around Urbosa tying her up in a spiked chain they held. The spikes dug into her skin. The two masked men pulled the chain tighter around Urbosa, but an arrow launched directly into the doughnut shaped link. The arrow pulled the loose chain with enough force to snag into the bark of a nearby tree. Almost instantaneously, Revali's talon's dug into the shoulders of the masked men.

"After the Zora!"

"Got it!"

They each yelled. Both men unlocked themselves from the chain and dashed toward Mipha. Mipha eyes widen trying to keep up with their blinding speed. She did not know what to do and froze. A lightning bolt struck both of them. They fell to the ground unconscious.

"That was close," Urbosa loosened herself from the chains. "Sorry I pushed you that hard, hon. Are you okay?"

Mipha failed to stop herself from shaking. It became difficult to even stand back up, "W-who," she gulped, "who was that?"

"You've never heard of the Yiga?" Urbosa dressed her wounds, "The defectors? They're enemies to the Hyrule Kingdom. Spymasters and thieves. It's part of our job to foil their plans. Currently, their plans involve the Guardians. Don't ask me why, because I don't know."

"Urbosa looked at Mipha, dumbfounded, "You've never heard of the Yiga until now?"

"I'm sorry. Everything is quite new to me."

"It's alright hon."

"Don't you know anything?" Revali interrupted. He walked passed Mipha toward the gorge muttering something. Mipha swore Revali whispered, _"...so useless..."_

"While you girls gossip," he continued, "I'll be flying down there. Don't keep me waiting."

He produced a gale and backflipped into the gorge leaving Urbosa and Mipha with the cart. Mipha did not know how they would get all the way down efficiently. Urbosa grabbed a rolled up carpet from the cart. She carried the carpet on her shoulder until she reached the edge of the gorge. She untied the rope. The sun glossed over the green silk and golden weft after Urbosa unrolled it on the ground. Its sheer size impressed Mipha. Never has she seen such a massive carpet. Urbosa sat on the carpet and looked at Mipha.

"Well, aren'tcha coming, hon? Unless you want to climb down? I'll explain the details to you once we're down there." Mipha did not understand, but trusted Urbosa nonetheless. The two were caught up by the wind.

* * *

Mipha gasped at how fast they floated down the gorge. It felt exhilarating sailing through the wind. She looked over the carpet to see vast empty space at the bottom of their descent. Near the end of the gorge large pillars stood below. Statues of large stork-like birds guarded the temple. Revali roosted at the top of one of the pillars watching them as they made their descent. He flew from the pillar to the entrance where Urbosa directed the carpet. Urbosa explained to Mipha that this temple used to be place of worship for the Goddess Hylia.

"Hylia?" Mipha asked.

"Hylia is the Goddess worshipped in Hyrule. She was endowed with protecting the Triforce after The Golden Goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, created Hyrule. Din created the red earth. Farore breathed life into the world. Na...

"Nayru created the seas, rivers and oceans!" Mipha said suddenly, "...sorry for interrupting Urbosa, but I recognize this story. The Zora worship Nayru along with Lord Jabu-Jabu. I'm only familiar with Nayru, but the others...I'm afraid I'm not so knowledgable. Oh, forgive me, Urbosa. Please, continue."

"You're fine, hon. Hylia used this Triforce to protect the land from a demon who wanted to rule over Hyrule. She gathered an army to stop this catastrophe. It's part of the creation story of Hyrule. I don't believe in such a story," she said this angrily, "but this Hylia sounds like quite the woman."

"What does this have to do with the Yiga? What do they want?"

"I told you before, I don't know what they want with Guardian technology. I wish King Hyrule told us instead of having us run around Hyrule without a clear goal. He should be more direct."

Mipha felt sadden when she stepped onto land again. Mipha stood at the end of a collapsed bridge or missing section of the temple. It appeared to be part of much larger piece. In any case, it remained a mystery to her. They entered the temple high above on a platform. Below, the floor was cut off by a wall. On the top of this wall, two columns raised a slab of concrete. Everyone noticed the multitude of decaying remains of the Guardians that the scouter detected. They rested on platforms. Despite these, the temple itself appeared destroyed. Sunlight streamed through missing parts of the ceiling.

"Well," Urbosa looked at every Guardian she could see, "Might as well get started."

"On what?" Mipha did not know the details of the mission.

"We're suppose to gather supplies," Revali answered, "So that means we must scour every Guardian in this temple for parts so that the Yiga don't get their hands on them."

"C'mon, hon." Urbosa hopped on the carpet, "Hopefully, we got here before anyone else."

Mipha and Urbosa rode on the carpet to every Guardian in their sights. Guardians of different designs and sizes hid themselves in the fallen debris. Mipha noticed the different designs of the same models. Some appeared to have been designed for the skies indicated by their broken propellers. Others ranged from bulky and large to small and easily mobile. Mipha helped Urbosa salvaged any parts like screwdrivers, shafts, springs, gears, and round crystals with a faint yellow light. Just like Purah described, these parts were in pristine condition. The shadows of the walls, pillars, Guradian husks slowly scanned across the ground until they dissolved into the darkness. The guardians blackened yet distinctive bodies turned formless almost into different creatures. The jagged edges of their heads turned menacing and even frightful.

Urbosa noticed something moving on the ground over her feet. It appeared to be a screwdriver moving by itself with other parts. She saw more parts moving on the ground from the guardian husks. In the air, Urbosa and Mipha saw Revali descend to them.

"Revali," Urbosa said, "Did you see this?" She pointed to the moving parts on the ground.

"Tell me something I don't know. Check this out," he held the guardian scouter in front of her.

The scouter beeped loudly in a different tone. It shook violently. Revali dropped it on the ground. It wobbled and rolled on its side. A loud creaking noise commenced behind them. It came from a guardian husk which pulled itself from the ground. Everyone jumped out of the way. Pieces of the armor pulled toward a pile of guardian parts. The pile grew larger. Parts swirled around like water. Eventually, a body formed composed of the same armor as the guardians. Arms took shape and then legs until a machine complete with a head created itself. Its head twisted around until it focused its glowing blue eye at the three Heavenly Soldiers. It produced a distorted metallic screech that caused the temple to shake.

 _...F...fr...fri..._

 _...friend..._

 _...your..._

 _...friend...is..._

 _...not...not..._

 _...friend..._

"What?" Mipha answered the voice in her head.

"I heard it, too, Mipha," Urbosa readied her scimitar.

"Would you two girls quit chatting and help me?" Revali drew his bow.

Mipha did not want to attack, but Revali swooped in the air and fired an arrow at its single eye. The automaton used its arm to cover its eye but its arm was too slow to block the arrow.

 _...N...n...no..._

 _...no...att...attack_

Mipha heard the plea but did not know what it meant. She watched Revali fly around firing an arrow at the eye. The automaton managed to lifted its rusted arm to block the eye, but Revali attacked at different angles. It quickly twisted its head at Revali. Its eye shined a bright blue. A laser fired at Revali. He dodged, but the head twisted and the laser followed Revali. It lifted one arm pointed at Revali. A blue light shined from its palm and fired a second laser. It fired haphazardly. Urbosa used her shield to block the laser. Mipha twirled her Trident to deflect the laser. The laser fired from the Guardian slicing through the concrete and ceiling. Pieces of the ceiling crashed on the ground. The guardian then stopped. It shook and more pieces from the remaining Guardians flew from the ground to the larger automaton. It grew twice its size and crashed through the ceiling. Urbosa focused on the sky to amass thunderclouds. Lightning flashed from inside the clouds. A single bolt of lightning merely stunned it. Revali landed in front of them.

"You two need to get out of here!" he warned.

"What about you?" Urbosa protested.

"What do you mean? I'll stay here and keep this...thing busy. You two can't do anything down here. You'll just get in my way."

"I could use my carpet...," Urbosa said.

"You could use your magic carpet thing to get Mipha out here. She'll get squashed," Revali looked over at the Guardian. One step shook the entire temple. Any moment and it would fall.

"Revali...," Mipha did not expect this.

"Don't get all sappy on me, princess. Grab the materials and get out of here! Complete the mission!"

Urbosa sat on the carpet. She paused thinking of the right words, "Why are you doing this? You should come with us. You don't have to..."

"I'm not going to run away," Revali turned around to face the automaton, "I...have to do this. Explaining will just waste time. Go!"

Urbosa grabbed the sack full of ancient parts and flew with Mipha on the carpet. The nimbus evaded falling debris. Mipha noticed something disturbing on the ground. Masses of squirming organs laid down below crushed by falling rock. Parts of the temple blocked the way out leaving only a space large enough for them to fly through. Mipha looked at the ensuing battle. The colossal Guardian grew tall enough to crest over the gorge. Large arms swung at something presumably Revali. It stumbled and almost fell over. Urbosa snapped her fingers for another lightning bolt directed at the automaton, but this time it did not stop. Mipha looked further up in the sky. She saw something even larger moving slowly in the air. It appeared to be bird like in shape. Markings similar to the Guardians glowed red. The automaton stopped at the sight of this mechanical bird. It began to walk toward it. It crashed into the end of the gorge. Its fall caused tremors. It slowly got up and feebly reached out one arm. Its hand tried to grasp longingly at the bird. The bird screeched causing the Guardian to freeze. A brilliant light coated the Guardian's body and then it exploded.

"Revali!" Urbosa yelled before a heavy gust of wind threw both Mipha and Urbosa off the flying carpet.


	4. Chapter III: Take Up Thy Stethoscope

"And that's what happened, my liege."

Urbosa's nearhand carpet produced a means to escape from the explosive force. The magic carpet alighted them on the grounds of Hyrule Castle. There, she swiftly ordered a guard to call for an audience in the Observatory. This room surveyed due north of the front gate. A lone avian statue was flanked by two stairs leading to the observation platform. A tall corpulent man robed in the blue and gold that represented Hyrule looked out through the portal outside. His Royal Guard lined up on each side of the room. The King did not speak once during the Urbosa's strange monologue.

He stroked his white beard thoughtfully, "What of the Rito? Why is he not here?"

"He wanted to stop the Guardian himself," Urbosa thought she spoke of someone else. "He...feared for our safety. He fought..."

"Bravely and valiantly against the machine," Revali squawked behind them.

Everyone turned to face the blue Rito walking in. Small patches of bald spots distributed unevenly around his body. Most were unnoticeable at first glance. Some feathers flaked from his body leaving a trail behind him. The end of his blue scarf appeared scorched off.

"Revali!" Mipha exclaimed happily.

"These two," he pointed a feather at Urbosa and Mipha, "were too scared to face the machine alone. They believed their skills would be of no use so, instead, left me to do all the work. Being the gallant soldier, I allowed these women to get away with the supplies. I defeated the machine swiftly. It seems the princess' first mission was too much for her to bear."

"You...," Urbosa clenched her fist, "I thought you died! And that most certainly did not happen!" Revali smiled at the Gerudo's rage.

"Why did you follow his orders?" King Hyrule asked.

Urbosa turned around to see King Hyrule facing her, "I...he...," Urbosa did not believe what she heard.

"Is he your king? Do you take orders from him? I appointed you a Heavenly Soldier. That blue you wear means that you protect Hyrule. Are you fulfilling that duty by running away when Hyrule is in potential danger?"

Urbosa clenched her teeth forcing any words to be barred inside. Mipha looked down shamefully. "I apologize, my liege. It was all so sudden. We were not thinking."

"Do not apologize," Urbosa snapped. She directed her fury on Revali, "He tricked us. He wanted all the glory for himself. You vile snake."

"Why are you mad?" Revali smile remained, "We got the parts. That's all the mission entailed."

Lightning flickered between Urbosa's fingers until she saw her brother walking toward them from the doorway.

"My sister! Are you well?" Ganondorf's voice boomed. His hand slid down Urbosa's shoulder affectionally.

Urbosa sighed, "Yes, Ganon. I am well. It was good thing I listened to you and brought that carpet. It saved our lives."

"And you, your grace?" He caressed Mipha's cheek. Her breath shuttered at his warm touch.

"Y-yes, Ganon." She meant to answer the question.

"What happened?" Ganondorf asked either of them.

"An automaton attacked us at the temple. It was all very odd. I never seen anything like it."

"There was also...," Mipha exclaimed, "Oh, forgive me, Urbosa." Mipha stepped toward the platform. "My liege. One thing Urbosa did not explain...well, it's quite hard for me say. I really don't understand all the details myself."

"Go on," King Hyrule allowed.

"This automaton spoke to me. It seemed quite scared actually. I don't remember what it said, but it spoke words in, oh, this is rather silly, I heard it in my head. Urbosa heard it too. And I even heard a Guardian husk speak to me at Purah's lab. There was also these...," the writhing organs still unnerved her, "...masses of organs at..."

"I've heard enough," King Hyrule turned his back to Mipha, "How is Castle Town? Any casualties?"

"From the tremors?" Ganondorf answered, "Unfortunately, yes. I followed your orders to bring aid to the villagers. It appears that the damages are more than we can account for at the moment. I also sent aid for those closest to the tremors. From what I heard, we suffered only minimal destruction."

"Princess Mipha," King Hyrule called for her attention, "Go to Castle Town with the others. Use your magic to heal the wounded. Understand me, Mipha?!" Mipha nodded before realizing the king turned his back. The king continued before she actually answered, "Now, go."

The main forum and center of activity in the kingdom, Hyrule Castle Town was built adjacent to Hyrule Castle. Hyrule field bordered the town to the south, east, and west. Mipha, Revali, and Urbosa followed Ganondorf over an arched carven bridge north of the town which led directly to the back of the castle. This northern road led them to a central plaza where each road intersected a large fountain. These tremors that apparently ravaged the town destroyed the fountain. Water leaked from the cracked basin forming a puddle over the cobble stones. Knights cradled a groaning man on a stretcher from one street to another. Ganondorf led the Heavenly Soldiers down the path the knights came from. Pain and agony frothed this busy southern street. People in masks tended or prayed for the wounded. Mipha tried to stare straight ahead away from the gory scene. She failed to deafen the anguish she heard all around.

Numerous stalls sold the wares of merchants and traders. A mess of squashed fruit, clothing, and scurrying cuccos blocked the way. Mipha directed her attention at the sound of a child crying in the arms of its mother. She sat outside a destroyed house with a caved in blue roof. She cradled the restless child. Nearby, a dog barked in a chorus of meowing kittens. Their fat mother looked around with whiskers twitching. Mipha returned her focus to Ganondorf who entered a building with a door off its hinges. Everything in the building fallen. They finally stopped in the living room. Mipha saw the second floor through a collapsed ceiling. A man's head rested on the lap of a woman on a couch. Blood dampened his ripped clothing. Deep slashes opened his torso. The man writhed in pain. Mipha saw his mangled leg.

"Ganondorf!" The woman said in surprised, "You returned!"

"As promised," Ganondorf kneeled in front this couple. He dabbed a wet cloth over the man's head. His deep breathing softened. "I've brought along friends. They are the Heavenly Soldiers. Revali, my sister, Urbosa, and Mipha."

The woman stared at Mipha, "Is she the Zora! The healer? The floor collapsed. My husband fell through cutting him up badly. I think he broke his leg. Can she heal him?"

"Yes," Ganondorf smiled reprovingly.

"Oh, Ganondorf," the woman came almost to tears, "You are a gift from the gods. If you didn't come along...I don't think," she dared not say.

"Hush now," He put his hand over her's, "Your troubles are over," he looked at Mipha, "Your grace, if you would."

Everyone looked at Mipha. Reddening, she understood. Ganondorf and the others stepped away allowing Mipha to concentrate. She sat on the floor in front of the man. Beads of sweat ran down his face. Mipha gently took the man's hand. He breathed heavily again. "I hear your plea," Mipha said in a honeyed tone.

The man opened his eyes, "Who are..."

"Shh...," the man heard this through the softest lips, "Allow me to comfort you. Close your eyes. I will bless you with the sacred water to save you in your darkest hour." The man closed his eyes. His breathing became calm. Mipha focused intently and her hands glowed in a warm blue light. The gashes closed by themselves and the leg returned to normal.

The man finally managed to speak, "Ah! Are you an angel?"

Mipha laughed and stood up, "I believe he's better."

The woman hugged the man tightly, "Thank you! Thank you! You are truly heavenly!"

"Nice trick," Revali said, "Now let's see you do that for a whole town!"

From then on, Mipha traveled from dwelling to dwelling healing wounded men and women. Mipha found herself quite delighted with the praise she acquired. She uplifted the clipped wings of delirious men enraptured by the Zora Princess' beauty and grace. Every so often, she passed by a dilapidated church congested with huddled citizens. Their congregation congealed the enclosure. Knights from the Royal Guard combined their efforts to rebuild the remnants of the ancient cathedral. Its walls collapsed with broken windows and a section of the ceiling now crumbled. Each time Mipha crossed this secluded area she thought more people gathered there. She saw no sign of Urbosa or Ganondorf but caught Revali flying in the air descending to each section of street.

Against her better judgement, Mipha entered a back alley. She wanted to make up for her folly that almost comprised her duty as a Heavenly Soldier on her first mission. Mipha wanted to account for every wounded inhabitant possible. The buildings in the alley leaned closer to the stone path. It confused Mipha's perspective. The path before her tilted slightly to the left disorienting Mipha. She looked around for any sign of a fallen inhabitant in need of assistance. Clothing lines connected the buildings on each side. Mipha minded the broken brown bottle pieces strewn about on the path's width. She realized how late it became when a haze of light emitted from each window.

" _Pssst_!" An older woman hissed, "Healer!"

Mipha stopped in front of an opened door. Inside, an old woman sat on the bed of an empty room. Feathers laid on the floor. She looked at Mipha with large bulging eyes. A large mound of white hair combed into a neat bun on top her head.

"Are you harmed?" Mipha asked.

"A better question is are you too busy to help me," the old woman croaked, "Or are you like those soldiers who ignore an injured old woman?"

Mipha stepped wearily inside, "The soldiers are doing their best to help everyone." The house remained completely empty except for stray feathers on the floor. A cage of guays hung from the ceiling above the old woman's bed. It rattled violently when Mipha approached. Their black feathers flaked from their bodies.

"Don't walk in too fast. My babies are quite shaken by that earthquake you caused."

Mipha slowed her pace,"How did you...," but the old woman continued over her.

"What does that foolish old king think he's doing having inexperienced soldiers protect us?"

"A-allow, allow me to..." Mipha reached for the old woman's wrinkled hand.

"Stop being so shy and use your magic. I've been waiting too long." Mipha grabbed her hand, "Not so hard! I'm only a old woman! Now on with it!" Mipha's hand shook but she focused hard.

"I'm sorry that you had to wait so long for help, but please do not blame the soldiers. There is an encampment by the church where there are many people being fed by them. They are also rebuilding that church."

"Hmmm," the old woman grumbled, "So that's where they've been. Focusing all their efforts on that damned temple." Mipha tried to ignore the woman. Mipha felt exhausted using her power too much. After she finished healing this old woman, Mipha planned to rest at the encampment.

The blue glow faded, "Alright, the deed is done." Mipha headed for the door in a hurry.

"Well, is that it then?" The old woman rubbed her hand. Mipha halted, "You're going to be on your way just like that?" Mipha did not know what to say, "Not going to say anything? Well, I shouldn't be surprised by how your kind carries themselves about. How did a ku like you wash up in King Hyrule's Royal Guard?"

Mipha lowered her head. She hated that word. Her kind are nothing like those monsters, "I'm..."

"How would your mother feel about your insolence if she were alive?"

Mipha looked at the old woman rubbing her hand, "How do you know about my mother." Mipha understood if the woman knew about her arrival in Hyrule. Rumors spread quickly in such a populated town. However, there was no way anyone would know about her dead mother. "How..."

"I know that the storm swept you and your mother up. Children should heed their parents warnings. You didn't and..."

Mipha escaped the old woman's bile. Hot tears stung her eyes.

Knights of the Royal Guard used a pulley to hoist stone blocks and materials on the roof of the church. A new wooden frame outlined the roof. Ganondorf assisted the knights providing the most muscle. _Heave!_ He commanded and his skin tightened over muscles glossed by sweat. The damp tunic under his chain mail stretched over his toned torso. Alone and exhausted from overusing her magic, Mipha sat in front of a fire close to the church. On her lap, a bowl of gourmet meat soup whet her appetite. The meat of the tender bird soaked in the juices of the brown broth made from fresh milk. Hoping that no one watched, she chewed on the bone. The Royal Guard served this stew from a large pot settled on a fire. Citizens in single file took their share back to their respective fireplace. They came back for the main course, a roasted boar. It roasted on a spit with a baked apple in its mouth. The perfectly red skin looked like leather. Tender juicy white meat pulled off from the bone. It made Mipha realize she did not eat anything since she left the Domain. She never ate so much in her life.

Mipha's wandering eye noticed that Ganondorf did not stop once for a meal. Even when the other knights rested, Ganondorf's impressive strength kept pulling more supplies to the roof.

"Enjoying the view?" Urbosa sat next to Mipha.

"Urbosa!" Mipha screeched in terror. She blushed heavily, "No! I wasn't..."

"Ha! Do not fret, your grace. I've caught many females looking at my brother the way you did just now."

Mipha thought it useless to object, "He might hurt himself if he keeps going like this."

"Do you wish to heal his wounds?" Urbosa teased.

Mipha covered her face in shame shaking her head, "It's not anything like that! I'm just...I mean..."

"Do not worry, my brother always pushes himself more than necessary. It's a male thing, I suppose."

That made Mipha wonder, "Urbosa, if I may ask, is it true that the Gerudo only spawn females in your tribe."

"Yes," Urbosa nodded, "this is common knowledge even among outsiders."

"Then I'm confused. Why is it then that Ganondorf is particular?"

Urbosa looked thoughtfully into the fire, "If you wish to know more of my brother than simply ask, your grace. Yes, it is true that my tribe is only comprised of females and yes it is true that my brother is a particular case. Why this is so is entirely a mystery. Every century or so, a male is born into the Gerudo tribe. Though we were only born seconds apart, by birthright, he is meant to be our king."

"King?!" Mipha looked Ganondorf and then to Urbosa, "Your brother is a king!"

"That's...not accurate. You see, my brother did not impress the women of my tribe. He was a weak child. Sickly. He cowered at the sight of blood and even at a sword. Between the both of us, the women saw me as their potential chieftain. Surely, the women didn't feel confident in Ganon's abilities and neither did he. He never stood his ground. Because of this the Gerudo always pushed him around. Never showed any mercy. Never a kind word. It changed him. He became withdrawn and melancholy. As a woman, I felt ashamed for my sex. As a sister, I had to protect him keep him out of harms way. Ganon deeply regretted that he did not grow up to be the king he was suppose to be,

"He grew tall and awkward. When I became of age, I took the throne while my brother went deeper into sadness. I never had the time anymore to watch over him. Whenever I got a whiff of the women giving my brother trouble, I always shown them their place. My brother did not like that. He even came to me one day and told me, the chieftain, to cease fighting his battles for him. Ganon wanted to face the women head on without any assistance from his sister. He called his many bruises 'badges'. It made him strong, he told me. At first I thought, Ganon actually believed in himself. Then, I realized he must have punished himself getting into fights with these women knowing he would lose. Ganon believed he sullied the Gerudo name.

"At that time of our lives, Gerudo Town was oft attacked by foreign invaders. I fought with our best warriors against these foes while my brother protected the children in the town. He never showed it, but he hated that he had to be left behind as his sister protected the city he was born to rule," Urbosa paused and stared into the fire for a moment, "One particular battle lasted for months. The enemy somehow captured a Molduga, a fierce monster that resides in the desert, and used it to bombard the city walls. You see, all other skirmishes never made into the city, but they were the closest. I didn't want to risk the lives of my fellow Gerudo. I cried to the heavens for a solution, but it was too late. The monster ram through the walls. Even my own warriors ran away abandoning the town they swore to protect.

 _Cowards!_ "Urbosa cursed, "They came in with a warning: lay down my arms and give up my brother or the Molduga eats the children. If I may be blunt, I'd rather die than see my enemies win. My brother, forming a bond with children after protecting them for so long, agreed to their terms. I wanted to refuse, I still wanted to fight but my brother would never forgive me if I put the children in harms way. So, without even thinking, my brother willingly put himself in the enemies hands. Even though we drove away our enemy, I felt defeated. My pride along my town laid buried beneath the rubble. I couldn't face myself. My weak brother who I protected my entire life was then gone. Then, something happened. In the desert, Ganondorf swiftly destroyed those foreign invaders. I don't know how, I don't why, but he returned but a completely different person. With one swing of his sword he killed the Molduga that threatened the children. He disbanded the invaders and then almost single handedly rebuild the pride of Gerudo. A man possessed. He tells me that in order for him to become king, he himself must make that dream come true. Not by some birth right, but by his own will. Ever since, he's been the man you see before you. He's grown to be quite the man."

"Indeed," Mipha shamelessly watched Ganondorf with upmost admiration.

The moon undulated in the ink black moat that surrounded the castle on all sides. A bridge allowed passage to the castle's south side where Mipha, Urbosa, and Ganondorf entered. A small sapling of land hid underneath the bridge. Behind the large metallic front gate, a winding path led to a gatehouse. The only other entrance to the interior of the castle were the docks at the northern side. The tunnels built into the earth holding the castle up were the only other access points. Mipha followed closely behind through the unfamiliar castle walls. She entered a spacious room with a long table underneath a chandelier. A fireplace hollowed out the north side of the room. On the west side of the room, Ganondorf entered a forked hallway where Urbosa and Mipha followed. He stopped at a wooden door bidding his sister and Mipha good night and a job well done. Mipha followed Urbosa until she stopped in the middle of the hallway.

She turned to Mipha, "What's the matter, hon? Don't know where to go?" Mipha wanted to ask where she slept. "Oh, that's right. We never showed you your new room. Well, come with me!"

Mipha followed Urbosa the opposite way. This castle seemed so quiet and uninviting at night. The faces in the paintings mounted on the wall looked too serious and unfriendly. The red velvet carpet did not appeal to Mipha's feet. At the domain, the sound of the rushing waters made any one feel safe in the darkness. Urbosa finally opened a door. Inside, a light, bright, and beautiful room reminded Mipha of the pristine and clean architecture of the Domain.

"Wow," Urbosa said, "and I thought my room was overkill."

The walls and floorings wore a marble and glass mosaic surround. Total indulgence came from the sizable marble bathtub. An elephant fountain head mounted on the wall over the tub. The sound of rushing water led Mipha to the window. Outside, a waterfall gushed into a pool with craggy rocks. Mipha thought about her home and everything she left behind.

"What do you think?" Urbosa looked out of the window with Mipha, "I'm a bit jealous."

"Urbosa," Mipha continued to look through the window, "I will I ever be able to go home?"

"Oh, don't worry about what Revali (that snake) said," Urbosa just remembered what he said in the Observatory. "You'll see your home again." Mipha remained quiet, "What's the matter, hon? Getting cold feet after your first mission? You did a really good job at Castle Town today. They really appreciated..."

"I know I did. It made me...," Mipha listened to the small waterfall, "I hope that I can help others again. I want to feel like I'm doing something good."

"You are, dear. Have a good night. Sleep as long as you like."

Mipha stabilized on the waterbed. Exhaustion began to slowly close her eyelids. Mipha thought about the people she healed. She hoped the Royal Guard rebuilt their homes soon. She drifted in and out of sleep thinking about the story Urbosa told her about Ganondorf. Mipha wished she could have turned her life around at Zora Domain. Change what the Zora thought of her, but she did not have the power to. Thoughts of Ganondorf heaving the materials to the roof of the church distracted her from all previous thoughts. The idea of a relationship never interested Mipha. She knew what the Zora thought of her. Unworthy to be their Queen. She wanted to be a different Zora. One that no other knew. One with a mother. One who saw no anguish in their father's eyes. Who had friends. Not born into a royal family, but a childish naive Zora that enjoyed swimming like every other normal Zora. A Zora that knows kindness. The kindness she saw in Ganondorf, Mipha wanted to feel his hand on hers again. Her hands never felt the warmth of another's until she met Ganondorf. She began to feel lonely.

 _He probably treats everyone like that!_

 _You're no one special!_

 _He doesn't think you're special!_

 _No one thinks you're special!_

 _You're not special!_

 _You're no one!_

 _But he treats me like I am!_

 _Where else would he touch me?_

 _!_

In the morning, Mipha drifted in and out sleep until the sun climbed to its highest. She considered herself lucky not to be plagued by nightmares again. Rarely did this occurred. Hot water gushed from the marbled elephants trunk. She let the water reach to the top where it covered her mouth. Her body soaked in the water's hot temperature. It reminded her of the spas at Zora Domain. Once or twice her father and mother caught her asleep in the spa at night. She felt shameful of how unbefitting such behavior can be for a future queen. Mipha promised to herself and her parents to never do such a thing, but after her mother died Mipha frequented the spas more often. Her father allowed this, but Mipha wanted the spa to herself. The others splashed and played in the spa causing her to be frightened. Telling her father this, he ordered everyone to leave at once whenever Mipha wanted to forget her troubles. She knew the Zora did not like that their princess took the spa all for herself, but no one stopped her.

 _Knock! Knock!_

Someone's fist banged the door.

"Your Grace!" An unfamiliar voice called from the other side of the door, "Forgive me for disturbing you, but your presence is needed at the throne room!"

Mipha drained the water and donned her sash. A knight waited outside as an escort. Mipha followed the man a long way to the very top of the castle. The throne room was a multi-tiered structure featuring several floors extending above the base level. The middle floor bisected the base and bared a circular recess. The floor of the throne room was decorated with a circular pattern with the symbol of the Triforce engraved in the center, and the Marks of the Goddesses positioned in the center of each respective Triforce piece. A long line of villagers Mipha recognized from last night stretched from the outside where Mipha came in. Ganondorf sat upon the throne with Urbosa and Revali standing beside him. They both stood with a pile of flowers, minerals, wrapped cakes and sweets, and other delicacies at their feet. One pile larger than either of Urbosa and Revali's combined rested next to Urbosa. She looked at Mipha pointing at the excessive pile. Revali crossed his wings and looked the other way. He appeared exhausted. Mipha eyes sparkled at the opals waiting for her.

"See? You did a good job!" Urbosa whispered to Mipha.

"Are these all for me?" Mipha looked into the galaxy of colors within the opal.

"You only got that much because they think you're pretty," Revali huffed, "I stayed up half the night caring for the villagers you neglected."

"Neglected!" Urbosa almost yelled.

"Yup," Revali's talon clawed the rug he stood on, "There were so many left unattended on the south side of town. The side you were suppose to take care of, princess" Revali looked over at Mipha.

"We were assigned specific locations in the town. I took the north. Mipha the south..."

"I wanted the south," Revali said over Urbosa.

"...and Ganon the east. Ganon told me that the king wanted Mipha to take the busiest street because of her power. The king did not account for how much it took out of Mipha."

"As for the south," Revali continued, "I think I got all of them, but I needed rest. I deserve it after how much work I did."

"It's not a competition! And don't take this away from Mipha. She did a good job."

"Not good enough."

"Don't listen to him, hon."

Mipha stood next to her pile of gifts watching Ganondorf conduct the villagers. Complaints replaced the shower of gifts. They wanted to be compensated for the loss of livestock, more supplies brought to their villages and towns by the Royal Guard, and search parties for missing relatives. Mipha imagined herself overwhelmed by the more angry population. Some blamed the Royal Guard or even King Hyrule himself for not accounting everyone in their efforts to help the wounded. Mipha became impressed with Ganondorf's patience and grace. He did not falter to such avarice. He simply ordered members of the Royal Guard to help those in need. A disheveled man from the end of the line shuffled forward meekly. Stale with sweat and dried blood, his torn clothes hung loosely from his body.

"Do not be shy, my friend." Ganondorf said with concern, "Come forward. You are safe."

He looked at Ganondorf and the Heavenly Soldiers meekly, "I've come a long way by foot my liege. From a village ravaged by wolves. I managed to make it out, but the knights..." his hands shook.

"They attacked the villagers?"

"Nothing more than a few swipes."

"Eat from your gardens?"

"No, but they dig up our crops. Why they have any interest in crops is beyond me. Wolves are carnivorous."

"Hmmm. Destroy your homes?"

"No."

"Eaten your livestock?"

"No, they simply frighten them. A few unlucky cucoos get in the way of their fangs. For the larger animals like my poor sheep and cows, the wolves harass them. They don't stop until a soldier or two retaliates. Then, they..." the man gulped, "After it is over, the wolves leave us until they return again."

"Where do you hail from friend? Shall I get the Royal Guards on duty?"

The man shook his head, "I hail from the small village of Mabe, but these aren't ordinary wolves. They attack from the Passeri Forest nearby the village. The Royal Guards weapons do not harm them. These monsters rip through their armor like sheets of cloth. They chew on the metal of their swords and shields. We need divine intervention, my liege."

"I understand," Ganondorf nodded, "Their have been similar reports all around Hyrule. Unfortunately, we never hear from the knights we've send in response. King Hyrule's suggestion is to burn the forests where these creatures come from." Ganondorf rubbed a finger on his lip, "I find this method unproductive. If I'm being frank, it only makes matters worse. The number of wolves that attack a village increases. Sending my sister and the others would be dangerous, but with their skills they can do away with these monsters. They will help you, my friend. You have my word."

"There is also one more thing I haven't mentioned," The man said, "Its not only the wolves, but something, someone else with these wolves."

"A person?" Ganondorf arched an eyebrow.

"A woman-creature who rides the largest of these wolves. She appears when the knights do. She kills them relentlessly even the ones that cry for mercy. I've only heard of her. Few have gotten a glimpse of her. Those lucky enough to get away say she is half woman half wolf. They say she has the sharpest claws, the sharpest fangs. I've heard she's not even a person but some sort of wolf that walks on its hind legs and talks like a person. She lives with them. Eats with them. Even lie with them. Pray that your Heavenly Soldiers do not cross her path."

"They will consider your warning."

"So much for sleep," Revali yawned. "Urbosa, can you get a guard to get rid of this trash for me?"

Urbosa scoffed, "You mean your gifts. Look! You even got monster cake."

"You want 'em?" Revali quickly flew out of the nearest window.

Ganondorf commanded Urbosa and Mipha to make haste for Mabe. Mipha became frightful of the mere thought of these wolves. She did not want to put herself in potential danger in facing such beasts. This woman-creature sounded even worse. Mipha hoped she remained to be a fable as the man described. In her quarters, Mipha thought about refusing to accompany Urbosa and the Royal Guard to Mabe. She came up with excuse after excuse in her head, but none satisfied. She knew herself to be a bad liar. Truth be told, she wanted to leave and abandon Hyrule Castle in favor of home. Mipha then thought of home and the kind of example she set for the Zora if she went through with her plan. She agonized over what to do until a knock pulled Mipha out of her plight.

"Are you ready, hon?" Urbosa said from the other side, "The Royal Guard is waiting at the gate."

Mipha took a deep breath, pulled her trident from the mount on the wall, and headed for her demise.

She almost collided with Urbosa in the hallway, "Oh! I'm so terribly sorry."

"Forget it. We have to get going." Mipha followed Urbosa down the hallway, but noticed something on the Gerudo's mind. Mipha thought Urbosa feared the wolves, too, but she knew better. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Whatever do you mean?"

Surprised, Urbosa turned her head slightly back like she forgot Mipha followed behind her. "Oh, nothing. It's just...why would wolves harass a village but do nothing. They don't attack the animals. Eat the crops. Do nothing more than scare the villagers. They don't do anything."

"It does seem rather queer," Mipha did not want to go through with this.

"They only cause trouble when the knights arrive," Mipha saw that Urbosa pondered on this thought all the way to the front gate.

A handful of the Royal Guard awaited the Gerudo chieftain and the Zora Princess. They guarded a palanquin next to crates of supplies. This made Mipha curious of how long their stay at this village called Mabe. The guards were none too clear on her inquiry until one of them said,

"Until we kill the wolves."

H ow she would survive such a harrowing task for such a period of time went over her head. Mipha concentrated on the scenery outside the window. The sun cascaded over a lush emerald sea. It reflected in the undisturbed mirror clear Kolomo lake bed. Warm sun rays rained gently against Mipha's red scales. It submerged Mipha into a warm bath inside the palanquin. The gentle rock of the carriage cradled Mipha like the slow ebb and flow that descended her into the depths of calm water. Thoughts of the wolves pushed her to deeper depths. She heard the pulse of the trees carried by the breeze that matched the beat of her heart. Mipha wanted to stay down in this place unperturbed by the troubles on the surface. These far depths obscured the wolves, their sharp fangs, and claws. Further they pulled her down where no Zora could reach her.

"Mipha!" Urbosa shook Mipha's leg. Mipha jolted. She looked around and saw an amused Urbosa, "You looked like you were under a trance. We're here!"  
"My apologies," Mipha looked down at her webbed hands, "I was just admiring the view. It's very beautiful."

"Indeed," Urbosa's knocked on the door, "but we're not here for sightseeing. We need to hurry before Revali takes all the credit again."

A knight swung open the door. Mipha and Urbosa stepped out to an urban settlement. It did not feature the aplomb of Hateno as Mipha only counted four houses. A knight led Mipha and Urbosa to the very center of the town where a weathercock pointed to the west. Mipha's gaze followed it to a path that led to a forest she thought to be the Passeri Greenbelt. The knight explained to them the layout of the village. One house resided in the western, eastern, northern, and southern most point of the village. Mabe also contained two shops where Urbosa and Mipha could gather supplies. Mipha saw everything from where she stood. Large claw marks scarred the wooden paneling of the houses. The windows of the shops were broken and a destroyed garden separated both the shops.

"Thank the heavens!" A villager cried out. Mipha's grip on her trident became loose. She already felt herself frightened. "I haven't been able to sleep in weeks!" The villager, a slight man, shook while he stood.

"We were sent on King Hyrule's...," the knight began.

"I know, I know!" The villager almost reached out to touch Mipha's hand, "Fate has been a cruel mistress. First the wolves and now the tremors. I feared for my friend who made a journey to the castle to seek help from the Heavenly Soldiers. Now, that I see you! Our prayers have been answered! Please, I beg you, do whatever you can to stop wolves."

"Have you seen a large bird anywhere?" Urbosa put her hand on her hip, "Blue. Bow and arrow. A swelled head?"

The villager arched an eyebrow, "Hmmm? Oh, yes, the Rito! He landed here not too long ago. He asked for the nearest shop for arrows and he took all that wasn't destroyed from the tremor. Immediately after, he headed for the wolves. Such a brave Rito!"

"Did he say more help was coming?"

"I don't believe he did. He went straight for the forest."

"Typical," Urbosa whispered. She looked at Mipha, "Lady Mipha, let's get going." She headed in the direction of the forest.

"Are-are you sure?" Mipha objected, "Shouldn't we wait here?"

"Hon, don't be scared. I'll keep you safe if thing get out of hands."

"I-I'm not scared." Mipha lied. She tried to find an excuse to stay in the village and far from the forest as possible. "I just think it would be prudent to remain the village. There isn't just the one forest. At all sides of the village there are plenty of forest where wolves..." Mipha wished she hadn't said this.

"The Zora has a point," the shook villager agreed. "These wolves come from every forest in Hyrule. Travelers from this village are lucky enough to come back and tell tales of wolves harassing them on their journey. And these aren't just any wolves. They're monsters sent from the underworld. Those travelers said it themselves."  
Mipha hung her head down. She berated herself on her stupidity. It mattered not if she went to the forest or stayed in the village. They were in the wolves' den. Mipha remembered what the villager in the sanctum said. All the villagers and livestocks are appetizers compared to the real meal that Urbosa, Revali, and herself became. Mipha simply had to wait for these monsters to inenvitably maul her. Mipha wanted to go along with wherever Urbosa went. Mipha felt safe with Urbosa and the odds of surviving to the next day rested entirely with her. Then, Mipha berated herself on her cruelty toward Urbosa. Mipha thought of Urbosa simply as a shield now. She thought if somehow the wolves succeeded in killing Urbosa, Mipha had no chance against the beasts. By the end of this likely scenario, no one recognized the red Zora's mangled corpse.

Mipha remained quiet for the rest of the day. The Zora followed behind Urbosa on the way to the forest. Her head turned to all sides looking for any sign of a wolf. She counted her blessings every second they did not encounter one. The knights of the Royal Guard remained at the village to scout for any wolves. Mipha prayed for their safety. They entered the canopy of the forest. Treetops blotted out the sun making it more difficult to differentiate her surroundings. It appeared so dark. Mipha spasmed at every noise that did not belong to them. Every rustle of the leaves, every small leap from a squirrel, and all sounds of the wind became an enemy to her senses. Mipha wanted to squeal every time Urbosa snapped a twig from a bush or tree to make a fire. She thought to object such an idea for their survival but the protective warmth of the fire abated Mipha's constant anxiety. Urbosa cooked raw materials provided by the sack she retrieved from the supplies they brought. Urbosa used courser bee honey she fearlessly snagged from a top of the tree they sat under. The honey boiled in a cooking pot into molten gold sprinkled with cinnamon. Apple and banana slices roasted with the stew. The smell itself gave Mipha a reason to live again.

Shadows casted by the setting sun grew longer. The glow of the fire protected Mipha and Urbosa from the darkness. Honied apples and bananas still felt warm in Mipha's stomach. Licking her lips discreetly, she savored every bit of sweetness. Mipha did not feel quite scared anymore, but held her knees tightly after every disconcerting call from a whip-poor-will apparently nesting nearby. She wished it to cease. Her neck snapped at the sound of a bush rustling nearby. Mipha forgot to breath watching the agitated bush moving due to some unknown entity. Her tense fingers floated above her trident, but relaxed when the bush stopped. She breathed through her nose swallowing the emptiness caught in her throat. Above Mipha, a tree branch bounced up and down. Urbosa and Mipha sprung up. They stood back to back slowly rotating to see every direction. Mipha held her trident tighter with each second the wolves did not appear. Her vision passed around the fire. Each revolution made it more apparent that the fire began to die. It distracted Mipha's focus from the possible assault from a ravenous wolf.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

In front of Mipha, Revali screeched. Mipha recoiled with arms covering her face. The trident dropped to her feet. Revali held his sides hollering in laughter. Mipha felt humiliated until Urbosa came from behind her and pushed the laughing Rito to the ground. Revali rolled on the ground still laughing.

"You, you should have seen your face!"

Urbosa pointed her Scimitar at Revali, "You're such a disgrace," she said. Revali continued to roll in his laughter until he finally got up.

"Learn to take a joke!" he wiped away a tear.

"This isn't a joke. This is serious and you shouldn't make such loud noises. The wolves could hear you."

"Oh, there's nothing to worry about. While you two were on your little picnic, I took it upon myself to survey the surrounding woodland and I haven't seen any wolves."

"You haven't seen anything?" Urbosa found that hard to believe.

"Yup, nothing gets past my hawk eyes."

"Then...," Mipha said with hope, "...we should head back to the village and get some rest?" she looked at Urbosa for approval.

"I think that would be...," Urbosa looked at Mipha whose wide eyes stared behind both her and Revali, "...what is it?"

They followed Mipha's line of sight to a large wolf sitting several feet from them. It panted with its large pink tongue hanging out. It dripped with saliva. The wolf stood on all fours.

It barked, "They're all here!"

All at once, the three Heavenly Soldiers believed they heard the wolf speak. Mipha then gasped when she saw three other wolves come from the shadows. They stood on all fours with teeth glazed with saliva. Behind these teeth, a low growling noise came from their throat. The fur on their backs stood up like spikes. Captured in the moonlight streaking through the canopy, eight ravenous eyes glowed with a hunger for blood.


	5. Chapter IV: Electric Blue

Mipha's legs would not cease shaking. Urbosa and Revali readied their weapons to attack. The wolves did not attack just yet. Mipha realized how abnormally large they appear. Mipha wishes neither party to attack. She rather wait an eternity than face an untimely death. The first wolf launches itself several meters into the air. It's black fur made it appear to be a large shadow with red eyes. Revali fires several arrows into the black mass. Each arrow stabs the wolf but they did nothing. The black wolf landed on top of Revali. With the full weight of its body, it rammed Revali into the ground. Large teeth snapped at him with deadly intent. Only Revali's bow seperated him from certain death. Urbosa tried to retaliate, but she evaded the claws of another wolf. Mipha only saw the attack as a blur. The wolf landed a considerable distance between itself and Mipha.

Its eyes glowed with infernal hellfire at Mipha, "This Zora will be a fine appetizer before the main course!" It licked its chops and dashed for Mipha.

"Mipha!" Urbosa snapped her fingers.

A bolt of lightning flashed. It struck a tree. Splinters fired everywhere as the tree crashed down ablaze between the wolf and Mipha. Mipha realized what happened just now. Urbosa snapped her fingers again and a lightning bolt attacked the wolf on top of Revali. The wolf was staggered enough for Revali to run away with Urbosa. Revali snatched Mipha who remained still.

"What are you? Stupid?! Run!"

Revali dragged Mipha with himself and Urbosa. Mipha saw the wolves from behind. They raced through the forest in a blur blending with the shadows. Their bouncing red eyes gave them away. Pointed ears looked like horns. Trying to shift through the events in her head the only words Mipha managed to coherently form were _These aren't wolves. They're demons!_ The wolves jumped into the bushes. Their eyes disappeared. The only thing that made sense now to Mipha was at any moment, the wolves could jump at her and eat her. She would not even realize it. She looked around but did not see anything only vague impressions of the forest.

"Princess!" Revali squawked, "You're slowing me down! Run!"

 _Run? Run where?_ Mipha thought. These were monsters. They stood no chance against these hellspawn. Revali let go of Mipha. Fear demanded Mipha to run with the other two. The Three Heavenly Soldiers tripped down a steep slope. They rolled and tumbled eventually crashing into the hard ground. Mipha gathered her senses. The world stopped spinning. At the top of the slope, the wolves peered down at them. Mipha did not understand why they halted their assault. They appeared to look past them. Afraid to look away from their pursuers, Mipha slowly traced their line of sight to a high wall of earth. It spanned a long way until foliage bordered the wall. On this wall of earth, a large boulder blocked an entrance _._ Inscribed on the face of the boulder was an upside down eye with a teardrop hanging up. Mipha turned to quickly face the wolves but they vanished. Mipha drew her knees close looking at the slope. It all became too much. She wanted forsake her new found role and her sash. She wanted to go home and never return from the safe confines of her silk bed sheets. She rather face the ridicule of her people and die on her own terms than be ripped to shreds by some beasts in a foreign land.

"Princess!" Revali squawked, "Get it together! We need to get out of here!"

"Let the poor dear take a breather." Urbosa vouched, "This is still all new to her and this is indeed much more than we anticipated. Neither of us could handle those beasts."

Revali quickly turned up his beak, "That...thing, whatever it was, just surprised me. That's all."

"Yeah, right. Besides, the wolves are gone. For now. For some reason," Urbosa gently laid a hand on Mipha's shoulder. Mipha twitched, "Hon, you're safe. We need to find a way back to Mabe."

"We can just stay here," Mipha said quietly still looking at the top of the slope, "until morning."

Revali sighed, "There are other things out here that can maul you, princess. Do you want to meet another Lynel in your sorry state? Or a bear?"

"Revali, that's enough."

"No! If not us they can still attack the village."

"I don't think they'll do that..." Urbosa wondered as she looked at the top of the slope and then at the eye symbol.

"It's our mission. Need I remind you that your brother is in the king's stead. He gave us an order. Whether the wolves actually attack the village is not relevant. We must keep them safe!"

"We both know their lives mean absolutely nothing to you." Urbosa snapped at Revali. "Even if we do go back to the village and nothing happens, you'll just make something up to make yourself look like the hero!"

"Still bitter about that, I see."

Urbosa's fingers twitched,"Then go! Fly away to the village and take all the credit! Tell Ganon and the whole of Hyrule how we little girls dishonored our sacred vows! I'm certain that your useless arrows will do just fine against four ravenous beasts."

Revali did not say another word until, "Fine, but if the village suffers, it's on..."

"Wait!" Urbosa raised up a finger.

"What are you...?"

"Shut up!" she said quietly, "I hear something." She waited a moment, "Voices! Hide!"

Urbosa managed to take Revali and Mipha to nearby bushes. Through the foliage, they see two men in red stealth suits carrying torches.

 _"I knew it,"_ Urbosa whispered, _"Yiga"_

They approached the boulder. One in front lays one hand over the symbol. The boulder shakes and slides open. The two mysterious men enter the cave. Several moments pass until the boulder budges. Urbosa rushes toward the boulder. Revali follows swiftly. Mipha did not understand, but followed along. She did not want to be here by herself. The Three Heavenly Soldiers made it into the cave. The boulder budges behind Mipha.

* * *

The Three Heavenly soldiers follow the Yiga clan members. Urbosa lights the way with flicking sparks from her fingers. Mipha feels relief finally away from the wolves. She rather face the Yiga than those monsters. Mipha's eyes probe the walls. It characterizes ancient engravings of serpents, beasts and other creatures of an unknown variety. She did not recognize their species, but they disturb her greatly. Mipha quickly catches up to Urbosa and Revali. Urbosa order everyone to stop. They stop on the edge of an adjacent hallway. Urbosa partially exposes herself to survey the Yiga Clan members trail. They stop at a wall. Their hands push a slab. A slab slides forward. The wall shakes as a middle section of the wall slides up. The Yiga enter. The Heavenly Soldiers wait several moments to engage the wall themselves. Revali runs ahead of them groping the wall until his feathers push a slab forward. The wall shakes and slides up. Mipha follows Urbosa and Revali inside. he darkness encroaches on them. Soon, the darkness entombs Urbosa's lightening and then her. Mipha becomes lost in the darkness. She calls out for the others, but they do not answer.

Mipha's hands shift through the darkness. It presses up against her eyes. Flurries of nebulous designs cluster all around her. She calls out their names again, but the darkness eats her words. Mipha begins to run, but makes no progress. Her foot catches air, but Mipha puts all her weight on the one still on the ground. She falls and the void swallows her.

"HEELLLLPPPPP!" she yelps, but her words are lost in the black.

No one hears her. No saves her. Just like when she was a guppy in the Zora River.

 _Mommy!_

 _Daddy!_

 _Help me!_

She pleads and pleads. Her tiny arms flail, but the waves push back her attempts for land. Sometimes, Mipha wishes she was never saved. Instead, the waters claim her. It is all her fault. She knows it. Everyone knows it. So, she runs away to a new place where the people do not know her or her folly. It did not make the slightest difference. The day still stalks her like a pack of wolves. Mipha never wants to return to face her mistake. Their eyes full of judgement. Eyes full of hate. Large bulbous eyes. This image pushes against Mipha's eyes and pulls back. The elderly woman from before looks upon the Three Heavenly Soldiers in a torch lit room. A funnel of light cuts a wedge in the darkness. Stars and miscellaneous shapes dance in the light. Blocking them, the two Yiga Clan members kneel in front of the woman.

* * *

"Urbosa?" Mipha looks at Urbosa who stares blankly at the ground. Revali stands next to her in the same catatonic state.

"Quiet!" One of the Yiga demands.

"You three fell into our trap," the elderly woman cackles, "I didn't think it would be that easy. I suppose you diminutive Yiga scouts are useful after all. Do you agree?" She looks at Mipha who did not answer. The elderly woman does a motion with her hand. Something forcefully pulls Mipha toward the elderly woman. Black eyes stare deep into Mipha's soul, "I asked you, ku, a question!"

The elderly woman tilts her head dodging an arrow. She swipes her hand throwing Mipha to the ground. Mipha sees Revali struggle for another arrow from his quiver. The Yiga notices before Urbosa managers to snap her fingers. Lightening strikes the two men and they collapse. She snaps her fingers again. The lightening targets the elderly woman. She blocks the lightening with the palm of her hand and redirects it at Urbosa and Revali. Revali zooms into the air, but Urbosa is attacked by the lightening. She falls to the floor. Revali fires several arrows at the elderly woman, but they stop midair and fire back at Revali. He dodges them. The elderly woman clutches the air halting Revali. She pulls back bringing Revali in front of her.

"A strong will such as yours will do nicely," the elderly woman croons. She raises a dagger from the pocket of her cape. Revali screams when the elderly woman digs the dagger into his feathers. He convulses on the floor. His mouth froths.

"What did you do to him?" Mipha exclaims.

"If you live, you'll find out." The elderly woman wraps herself into her cape. Her large nose peeks out. She flaps the cape like wings and flies away.

An earthquake commences. Large pieces of rock fall from the walls. Mipha braces herself.

"Urbosa!" Mipha calls, "Revali!"

"Mipha!" Urbosa answers.

A wall of rock separates the Heavenly Soldiers.

"Are you alright?" Urbosa yells.

"I think so. How's Revali?"

"He's alive, but knocked out. He's breathing heavily. Might be sick. That woman, whatever she is, did something to him! He have to get him out of here!"

"Can't you find a way out?"

A brief pause and then Urbosa said, "None that I could see. You?"

Mipha looked around for a way out. Rocks stacked against a panel that functioned as a doorway. Mipha carefully climbed the rocks that block the doorway half way. Mipha touched the panel. Something rumbled from far away. Mipha froze. She listened carefully for a rumbling that became louder. The area quaked yet again. From above, a large chunk of earth peeled from the foundation. Mipha ran into the corridor cursed with darkness. The floor began to tilt. Mipha's feet carried her forward faster and faster. She rolled on the ground until she did not feel the earth beneath her. She slammed full force into the ground. The darkness buried her and suffocated her. All sides pushed against her. Was it the witch's magic? Another trick? Thoughts scrambled incoherently inside her head. She wanted to get out, but something bound her in place. Mipha gets to her knees and started digging. Moist earth pushed into her nails. They chip and crack. She started to sink into the ground. Mipha waved her arms around helplessly trying to reach something anything to pull her back up, but nothing came to her aid. She did not want to swim. She hated swimming more than anything in the world. The dirt plugged up her gills. She held her breath, but nothing saved her.

Mipha felt rain on her face. It roused her awake. She searched her surroundings. She looked into the mouth of a cave. A wall of dirt closed it. Mipha found herself in the forest again and, also, her trident at her feet. She noticed the tips of her bloodied, muddied fingers. A noise in the foliage distracted her. The wolves. Mipha ran in the opposite direction. Sheets of rain blinded her and the wind pushed her back. She did not know what direction the castle was or where she was. A rock tripped her. In a desperate attempt, Mipha crawled under the bushes. She peeked from the under the bushes and breathed silently from her nostrils. She tried to stop shaking. The monster's large paws passed along the wet grass. Mipha prayed to the gods to keep her hidden. Then, a pair of bare women's feet stopped in front of her. The head of a spear pointed at the ground.

"Got something?" One of them said.

The woman stood still. After a few moments, the woman commenced forward.

Mipha waited an eternity before leaving the bushes. She took a deep breath before turning around and running. Mipha did not want to do this anymore. She rather faced the mockery of her people than subject herself to these monsters, but ultimately it did not matter. She was unhappy either way. She almost fainted at the sight of a horse. She almost shrieked for joy at the sight of Ganondorf riding the soaking steed. He jumped down from the saddle and draped Mipha in his cloak. The rain slipped off. It feels warm and safe.

"Are you harmed, your grace?"

Mipha tried to speak, "Ganon...your sister...Revali...cave...I..."

"Speak no more. Save your strength. We must head back to the castle."

Mipha had not the will to argue. Ganondorf picked Mipha up onto the horse carefully. It did not stir. All her weight slumped against Ganondorf's back. The gallops of the horse cradled her almost to sleep.

"I love you...," Mipha barely could say, but Ganondorf said nothing, "did you hear me," Mipha asked. Her head begins to swim. "I love you."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I do! I loved you since the first moment I saw you."  
"No, you did not. You are delirious, your grace. Save you strength."

Mipha did not feel the force of the fall.

Mipha could hardly open her eyes. Her vision gradually sharpened. Mipha's eyes traced the enigmatic shapes of her quarters. She tred to sit finding herself in the security of Ganondorf's cloak. The velvet smothered her. Trying to remember past events placed enormous pressure on her head. She then heard voices. Mipha exited her room into the hallway. The voices echoed ahead of her. Her thoughts get lost in the fog of indistinguishable chatter. A sliver of light slipped through a door crack. Mipha follows the light. She peeks into a study of sorts.

King Hyrule paces out of view and then back again to disappear where Mipha could not see.

"It is true my liege, the Yiga captured my sister and the Rito." This voice belonged to Ganondorf but somehow deeper and colder.

"Yes, yes, I'm aware!" The king shouted.

"Time is very well against us." Ganondorf said, "as the fortune teller foretold. The Great Calamity is upon us. I had...dreams, terrible, terrible dreams. A field of blood. Nothing but red and bodies scattered across the fields. I am holding...," his voice trembled, "I am holding my sister in my hands. She's not moving."

"Enough of that. I thought I took care of this long ago," the king sounded sorrowful, "I thought I appeased the gods, but...you do not have to go. Leave the poor wretch. She can defend herself."

"She is my sister and the Rito is my comrade. We can not abandon them!"

King Hyrule sighed and stroked his beard, "Is our fate truly controlled by some transcendental law? Are the hands of gods holding us by some puppet string? It must be true that Man has no control even over his own will."

"Have you not truly change anything?" Ganondorf demands, "Not since you..."

"Another word and I shall cut out your tongue!" King Hyrule barks, "I thought it could be different! I've gathered Hyrule's greatest warriors. Nothing should stop us. Even you have joined us!"

"I won't be here for long it seems," Ganondorf stepped forward into Mipha's view and bowed, "I'll do what I must."

He looked directly at Mipha as if he knew she was there. She stifles a squeak. The look in his eyes was not the gentle ones that Mipha knew. They belonged to someone looking at his prey.

\- End of Part I-


	6. Part II: Prologue

The Rito called the deity Vah Medoh. It hovered along the Tabanthan Frontier in northwestern Hyrule for time immemorial. Before the village itself was sculpted from the mountains, before Castle Hyrule was built, and even before the noble family's name conquered the land. Scholars said the mechanical beast shall remain untouched in the sky when history forgets Hyrule's name. Children are often told stories of the beast. Stories passed down retelling of the utopia in the sky where a lush paradise of an advanced people and their technology reside. The Rito's are said to have evolved from these people who conquered the sky. They touched down from the beast to spread their knowledge with those on the ground. Now, for reasons lost to time, the beast now floated dormant. Nothing thrived there and its said those Rito who dare try to seek the utopia never returned.

"Chieftain!" A Rito pupa raised their wing. The others in the group twisted their heads at the child, "Why did our ancestors return to Vah Medoh?"

The Rito Village Chieftain, Kaneli, stroked his braided beard, "That...I do not know, child. No one yet knows. Vah Medoh and its secrets are still carried on its back. Now, enough of that, shall we get to your archery lessons, children?"

All the Rito children jumped with their bow and arrows in feathers. They followed the chieftain down the mountain spire's walkway. At the edge of a cliff, mounted targets faced the children.

"Now this is your very first session, I don't expect you to..."  
A sudden gust of wind ruffled everyone's feathers. Everyone tried to locate the source.

"Look! At the sun!" A child pointed a feather at the sun. Everyone shielded their eyes at a winged shadow in front of the sun.

A flurry of arrows shot at every single bullseye. A dark blue Rito sat at the top of a tree with a satisfied smile. He appeared to be no older than the children.

 _"Ooooo!"_ Kaneli cooed, "That is very impressive! And whoooom might this prodigy be?"

"Revali," the young Rito squawked.

"Revali? Well, I sense great things within you. Can you make this village proud?"

"Not can, I will."


	7. Chapter I: Mad World

Zora Champion Mipha waited patiently in her palanquin. They carried her toward the coliseum. No one ever heard a word of complaint from the Zora Princess. She pulled away the curtains obscuring the window overlooking the countryside. The sun cascaded over the lush landscape. It reflected in the undisturbed mirror clear Kolomo lake bed. The warm sun rays rained gently against Mipha's scarlet red scales. The funeral hovered a dark cloud over an other wise beautiful day. She did not know the man herself, but he was a close friend to the newly appointed knight. Other than reputation, that was all Mipha knew of fifth addition to the Heavenly Soldiers It was hard to believe a child to best adults in combat. Revali boasted his doubts on the matter, and Mipha knew Daruk would greet him with literal open arms. Mipha kept her thoughts to herself and let the tourney decide his ability before making her own impression.

"Lady Mipha!" A Zora soldier called. Mipha unlocked the window and poked her head out. "We have arrived."

Mipha looked beyond her Zora counterparts to see a mass of bodies swarm the area around the coliseum. The thin bodies of the Gerudo women were almost covered up by the large boulder shaped bodies of the Gorons. The Rito were easy to spot due to their tail feathers. Some even roosted on nearby trees. She knew Revali would eat this up during his turn at the tourney. He might grow impatient at the funeral. Mipha saw the Hyrule banners flying with the gentle breeze on top of a hill overlooking the coliseum. There the funeral took place. The sun melted through the crannies of the door prompting Mipha to shield her eyes from the sun before a solider opened the door for her. He let a hand to assist her, but Mipha humbly waved her hand and the Zora cleared his throat realizing his mistake. He must have been new so she smiled to ease his anxiety. The adults recognized the bright blue sash presented to her on behalf of King Hyrule and cleared a path for her. The sash symbolized her rank as a Heavenly Soldier. The children had to be held in place by their parents. Curious children stared at the Zora Princess as she passed by. Mipha returned their gaze with a gentle smile. The three other Heavenly Soldiers waited in at the top of the hill. Mipha still expected to see Ganondorf next to his sister.

 _"They took him Mipha!" Urbosa said through tears, "My brother! He surrendered himself to save us from the Yiga. They surrounded the cave and let no one through until my brother came."_

"'Bout time princess," Revali stood wings crossed. "Busy enjoying the sights?"

"I apologize," Mipha said calmly, "We were on the look out for Moblins."

"No need to apologize darling," Urbosa mused, "This one just has his feathers ruffled with waiting a few extra seconds. That's all."

"Don't sweat it," Daruk said patting his gigantic hand on Miphas's shoulder, "I had trouble getting here too."

"I didn't," Revali huffed.

"Well you can fly," Daruk rebuffed Revali, "I kept rolling over Bokoblins on my way. Had to stop to peel them all off the entire way here. Me and my brothers bathed in the lake before getting here. You should've seen us. Had to scrub pretty hard to get the gunk off."

"Not hard enough to get the smell out apparently," Revali added.

Mipha looked around for a man with a blue sash but had no luck, "May I ask, where is the new knight?"

"He's keeping everyone waiting," Revali tapped his talon on the ground.

"No he's not," Daruk looked over everyone's head, but saw no one in particular. "The little guy and the King will be coming together. They're doing something special."

"I don't get why we need another champion," Revali blurted.

"I thought you would be happy to show off in front of another person," Urbosa said.

"I don't need another person slowing me down," Revali said.

"What was that, Turkeyleg?" Daruk leaned toward Revali cupping his hand to his ear.

"Pfffttt," Revali spat on the ground.

"Would you two stop your whining!" Urboso demanded.

"This kid is only seventeen. Seventeen. I remember when I was that age," Daruk stroked his white beard, "I ate rock sirloin all day, and now..." he patted his stomach.

"You still do that," Revali interrupted, "At the king's very own dining table. You eat so loud."

"I'm just saying', you kids need to appreciate your youth while it lasts. You won't be flying as high or swimming as fast as you are now."

Revali didn't say anything and continued to look at the coliseum. Mipha stood as still as stone. Everything was silent except for the two flags that stood on both sides of the end of the hill. Between them, a six foot hole cratered the ground. Marching faded in and everyone corrected their posture. Everyone looked toward the bottom of the hill. The Hyrule Royal Guard carried a palanquin containing King Hyrule. Mipha hardly seen him in public. Black bruises circled his eyes. He sweated in his royal robe. Despite this, he looked very serious almost angry. Mipha noticed the young man beside him. This must have been Link. Compared to the other soldiers, he looked so small. Link's gold hair shined brightly in the sun. His long sideburns swayed with his movements. He seemed entirely focused on the way forward for he did not look once at the crowd. Mipha, however, noticed the sadness in his blue eyes. Behind them, soldiers carried a funeral casket all the way to the top of the hill. They laid it next to the hole. Mipha watched King Hyrule speak to his soldiers and then to Link. King Hyrule offered a gentle smile and rested a hand on Link's shoulder before leaving him. Link smiled sadly and nodded.

Link looked at everyone in front of him. He looked at directly at Daruk, Urbosa, and then Mipha. Mipha saw more clearly Link's blue tunic. It was official, Mipha thought.

"I see Baumar's family and friends made it here safely." A woman began to cry over the crowd. "I've written a song in Ser Baumar's honor. It will describe more than I can say in words of how I feel about his passing. I hope you feel the same way."

From his pouch, Link unveiled an ocarina. He closed his eyes and began to play. From the first note to the very last, the sound he produced from the ocarina was the most beautiful and saddest thing Mipha ever heard. The sadness swept over her sending a tingle down her spine and quaked her soul. The wind carried each sorrowful note and washed it over her like a wave Mipha failed to conquer time and time again. She whimpered as a single tear fell. Link stopped, took a moment before stepping aside to let the soldiers lower the casket into the ground to be buried. Everyone waited silently. Friends and family said a few words to honor Baumar as did some members of the Royal Guard. At the end, the crowd began to disperse to either head back home or to the tourney. Mipha and the other champions waited to greet Link. Mipha composed herself.

"Hey" Daruk patted Mipha on the back hard or gently. She could never tell, "Are you okay?"

Daruk sworn he saw Mipha wipe a tear away. She did not turn to face him, "Yes," she nodded, "I am. Such a sad affair if I do say so myself."

"Ugh, I think my makeup is running," Urbosa sniffed, "That song...that boy sure can play."

"It was okay, I guess." Revali stretched, "Now its time for the big event. Aren't any of you competing? Better save yourself the trouble because I am!"

"Don't you want to greet our new friend?" Daruk suggested, "Hey, little guy what's up!" He fist bumped Link. Revali rolled his eyes.

"It's an honor," Link said. "You're Daruk?"

"That's what my friends call me!" He slammed his gut proudly.

"And you're Urbosa?"

"Yes," Urbosa flipped her hair and shook Link's hand. "Pleasure, darling." She winked.

"Pleasure's all mine." Link turned to Revali. "You must be Revali of the-

"Nice to meet you." Revali said before flying off to the tourney.

"He's worse than usual."

Mipha lowered her head.

" _You're the only one who can fix him, your grace!" Urbosa begged, "My brother said it is the brand that witch marked him with. It's corrupting him. You must do something!"_

 _"The body is one thing," Mipha explained, "but the mind is entirely different. One mistake can ruin him!"_

 _"You can't make him worse! Please!"_

"Aw, don't worry about him." Daruk said. "He's...he's just a big ol' bird brain."

Link smiled and turned to Mipha, "Lady Mipha, correct?"

Mipha smiled, "Yes. I am very sorry about your dear friend. He will be missed."

"Baumar was a good man." Link said, "and a good knight, of course."

"Of course.

"Will any of you be in the tourney as well?" Link looked at everyone.

"No, not me." Daruk said, "I'm too old for that." Link looked at Mipha, but she shook her head. "Mipha's too humble to compete in tournament."

"I see," Link said and looked to Urbosa.

"Not me, darling. It's all about big sweaty guys punchings each other senseless. Though, I will look forward to see your bout. Who or what will you be fighting. Do you know?"

"Gold Lynels."

"Gold...?"

It suddenly turned dark. A large shadow passed over them. Everyone looked up, "Look Mommy look!" a child pointed and jumped into the air until his mother kept him down. Nah Medoh hovered in the sky aimlessly. It blocked the sun.

* * *

Mipha sat in the front row with the three remaining Heavenly Soldiers along with King Hyrule. Link's song still tugged at her heartstrings. She was not entirely composed and found herself fidgeting in her seat. She distracted herself with Seafood Paella served by the knights. The tourney was not doing much for her. She found it so barbaric, but was interested in seeing the newly anointed knight in battle. Daruk almost finished his third plate of rock sirloin. He picked up some fallen pebbles on the floor and eaten them. Urbosa picked at her sauted acorns. She offered Mipha some of her own food, but Mipha readily declined. Urbosa noticed Mipha had not noticed a single smile from her.  
"What's the matter darling? Are you still sad over the funeral? You've eaten like Rito."

"I'm fine, thank you." Ganondorf's eyes still haunted her dreams. He did not look himself. Perhaps it was her delirium. "Do you believe the rumors to be true. About Ser Link?"

"Oh, I see." she winked, "How cute. Well, I only know what I have heard from the other soldiers. I hope they're true though. I want to see him wipe the floor with that overgrown turkey." As she said this, a gale blew past them almost knocking over Daruk's plate.

Revali made his entrance. Everyone cheered for their Heavenly Soldier. He settled on the very top of the coliseum for a few seconds before doing a swan dive off the edge. His beak pointed to the ground and at the last second gain altitude. The audience gasped and laughed and cheered all at once. Revali took out his bow before swooping up and hitting the targets in the bullseye. He hit every target without fail and everyone was awestruck. They have never seen someone so skillful and majestic. He flew all around the ring doing nosedives, backflips, and tricks and made it all look too easy.

"Show off," Urbosa brushed this all off. Her attention was shifted to the vomitorium.

Four soldiers struggled with something resisting in the darkness. One soldier was pulled forward into the void, then the other. One of them was thrown like a rag doll and plummeted to the ground. The two remaining soldiers ran away in panic. Revali landed in the middle of the coliseum looking into the vomitorium. A gold lynel jumped from the hole in the wall and roared. Revali was warned by the other soldiers to run away, but he refused. He looked to King Hyrule when he risen from his chair. Revali then retreated before King Hyrule sat back down. From the other side of the coliseum, Link emerged alone. The lynel noticed Link's presence and turned to him. Again, it roared, but Link did not falter. The lynel took out his weapon slung on his back.

"I didn't think the kid was serious," Urbosa said.

Neither did Mipha. She hoped the king knew what he sought Link out to do. She remembered her tournament when she was anointed a Heavenly Soldier. She barely made it out alive until the very last second. Mipha knew the Zora soldiers ridiculed her for the embarrassment she caused on Zora Domain. She made them appear weak. This lynel charged at Link. It swung the crusher, but Link flipped over the weapon and in a blue blur, attacked the lynel. It fell defeated when Link sheathed his sword.

"Amazing," Mipha said quietly.

King Hyrule risen from his seat and clapped. The roar of the crowd filled the coliseum. Mipha smiled and clapped silently while Daruk and Urbosa cheered for their new comrade. Everyone cheered except Revali. He swooped down to meet the new crowd pleaser.

"My, my, aren't you something special!" The crowd died down. "That's was pretty good. For a Hylian. I fought a lynel myself at my tourney. You were probably still a child." Link just stared quietly at the Rito, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? How about it? You and me. Let the earth and Heaven's collide!"

Revali drew his bow and an arrow point blank upon Link. Link stood motionless until the arrow fired. He caught the arrow just before it strikes. Link twirled around and fired the same arrow meant for him with his own bow. The arrow flew past by Revali only a few inches from his cheek. The crowd whooped. Link charged at Revali. Light bathed Link's sword and shot a shard of that same light from his sword at Revali. The Rito quickly dodged it and evaded each sword swipe with fancy acrobatics. He never fought someone so quick. Revali nearly avoided several blows. He flew into the sky and fired arrows at the Hylian. Link used his shield to block the assault. He then dodged each arrow with a roll until he stopped at the weapon selection. He choose the claw shot. Link launched a claw at Revali. He evaded too late and the claw snatched his own. Link slammed Revali to the ground. Revali gathered his senses when he saw King Hyrule appear in front of him. Link was already beside him, sword sheathed.

"I believe you embarrassed yourself long enough. Attacking a comrade unprovoked with an intent to kill."

"I wasn't try to kill him. I just wanted to...," Revali already saw the judgement in the king's eyes.

"That's enough! I already let you make a fool of yourself at the funeral. Do the Rito know no respect for the dead?"

Revali silenced himself and saw Link held out a hand to help him up. He stood up quickly almost swiping Link's hand away. "I went easy on you. Next time, I won't miss." At that, he flew away.

* * *

With Link proving his ability to all the land in a single swing, he was presented with a white horse whose fur never molted. A gift provided only by the royal family. This gift was shared with the Heavenly Soldiers. They all ridden one on the way to Hyrule Castle for the party hosted for the first time by King Hyrule. People christened Link with confetti, corn, and rice as he ridden his new horse in front of Urbosa, Mipha The tumult was all too loud for the Zora Princess. She did not want to go to a party with so many people in attendance. Thinking of the food made her sick. It would be too unkind to reject a dance from a gentleman, but all the same, she did not have the energy.

Hyrule castle was surrounded by a moat on all sides. A bridge allowed passage to the castle's south side. Underneath the bridge was a small sapling of land. The large metallic front gate hid a winding path that everyone flooded through on horseback, palanquin or on foot. The only other entrance to the interior of the castle such as the docks at the northern side. Her people would fancy themselves to swim down the waterfalls to gain access for pure sport. All unbecoming of her people. The tunnels built into the earth holding the castle up were the only other access points. Royal Guards wore their dignified lightweight uniforms leading the denizens up the main road to the entrance of the dining hall. A mist of light radiated from a crystal chandler over a table of food in the middle of a circular room. Mipha admired the craftsmanship since it reminded her of home. Bird bards hailing from the Rito Village played an assortment of instruments. Everyone danced to their rhythm right away. Daruk and his brothers sat on the floor telling and retelling stories of battles. Their laughter roared. Enticed men clapped and cheered for the Gerudo vai displaying their belly dances. The glitter in their sirwal twinkled and sparkled with the crystal chandler as they wiggled about.

Mipha consented to every dance asked of her. Already by the second dance with a prince, she became exhausted. The many perfumes of the Gerudo vai intoxicated her. It made her feel dizzy and in desperate need of a rest. Mipha could even taste the perfume in her mouth. She looked at the many denizens of almost every race. Mipha took note of the huddled mass of her Zora counterparts. They talked in whispers. How they heard each other over the song and dance was unknown to her. Mipha swore they saw her looking at them. Mipha knew they gossiped about her. She tried to eat from the banquet. Four of the largest whole ostriches laid on the table. Garlic butter greased one of the roasted poultries. Flakes of rosemary and parsley sprinkled over the red patches of skin. The subtle lemon touch mixed in with the other flavors of each respective ostrich and that mixed with the heavy perfume of the Gerudos. It made her sick. She wanted to sit back down until she was grabbed by a strong force. It was Urbosa trying to dance with Mipha.

"Why the long face, hon?" Urbosa swayed her toned body with Mipha. "This is a glorious event! Eat! Dance! Laugh!

Mipha felt drunken by Urbosa's perfume. It was suffocating. The room spun even though Mipha was still. At home, everyone hinged on her every word waiting to pounce on the wrong things she said. Now, it was the same. Mipha did not know what to do.

"Excuse me," she said looking away, "I must...I need... air. The crowd." She walked away toward the door leading into the great hall. All the men swarmed to Urbosa.

Mipha tried to remember the path to the front entrance, but her head remained fuzzy. The cool night air splashed her face. It cooled her off. Mipha tried to decide which road to take. It branched to the right which led to a flight of stairs. This was nothing like the crystal palace she grown accustomed to at home. Her palace's walls gleamed silver in the full moon. This silver light touched every corner of the domain. Here the moon did not illuminate anything. The night turned everything black. She traveled so far from the dining hall, Mipha no longer heard the music. Mipha continued down another side road to be blocked by a landslide. She wandered aimlessly crossing over a bridge. At this point, things became familiar. This road began to curve approaching the gatehouse. Pass this, the road began to slope. Mipha saw the royal guards guarding the entrance and allowed the Zora Princess to exit. A few denizens relaxed by the carriages, but Mipha wanted to be alone.

Music filled her ears. This music was gentler and more playful than the music in the dining hall. It reminded Mipha of horses. A combination of accordion and flute. Mipha followed the sound of the music to a fountain. There, a bright blue Rito with a larger build than Revali played an accordion. Sitting on the ledge of the fountain was Link playing his flute along with the bird bard. His horse neighed happily.

"Oh!" The bird bard said. He stopped playing at once, "It seems we have an audience amongst us, Master Link." The bard bowed. "The Zora Princess graces us with her presence."

With his lips still to the flute, he saw Mipha. He stood up straight and spoke, "Your Grace. Did the king send you to relay message?"

"My apologies," Mipha said, "I did not mean to interrupt you and no the king does not have message. Please as you were."

Link sat back down on the edge of the fountain and continued playing from where they left off. Mipha could not believe that such a playful tune could be played on the same instrument that produced the song from earlier. This song was more calm and easy on the ears. Mipha clapped when they finished and even the horse clopped its hooves. Mipha laughed at that.

"How could I be so rude," the bird bard said to Mipha, "My name is Kass. I am a minstrel for King Hyrule. Its not very often we play for the personal appearance of the king. Such an event should have the highest quality music."

"You play very well," Mipha said, "The king chose well." She then looked to Link, "As do you, Ser Link. Your performance at the tourney was most exemplary. Forgive Revali on my behalf. He had no right to act so impulsively. Do not take it as a representation of the whole group."

"Your words are much appreciated. And I won't worry about Revali. It's all for good sport."

Mipha sat on the fountain's edge next to Link. She turned to the basin skimming her hand in the water. Water gushed into the air forcing gravity to make a small crystal curtain flow back into the basin. The frothing and sizzling water screamed at Mipha.

"Were you scared?" Mipha did not realized what she said. She lost herself in the water. "At the tourney?"

"Ah, no," Link realized what she meant.

"You didn't seem so," Mipha remembered the soldiers struggling to calm the lynel, "I was when I faced my lynel. A blue maned." She barely managed to her hold her own against the beast. One more strike from the beast might have finished her. It proved her worth as a Heavenly Soldier. "How did you move like that," It took her until sundown to finish off the lynel. What took hours took only a second for the newly appointed knight.

"When I focus in battle," Link explained, "Everything seems to...slow down."

"You should see him with a bow, your grace." Kass said, "He surpasses even the best Rito."

Link smiled but shook his head, "There's always someone's whose better. I just point and aim."

"With deadly accuracy no less!" Kass said. "Do not sell yourself short. You donned that blue tunic for a reason!"

"This is a rather silly question," Mipha admitted, "but do you think he's better than Revali?"

"Ohhh," Kass said, "Now that's a fight I want to see. The king seems to have chosen the best that Hyrule could possibly offer. His royal guard seems unstoppable! I must write, no, play a song to commemorate the king and his Heavenly Soldiers! Would you two mind dancing to it. I'm already making it in my head! My feathers are looking for the right keys!"

Mipha felt well enough for at least one dance. She graciously accepted Link's offer of a dance. Mipha felt she danced on air. She glided across the ground like she glided down a waterfall, smooth and natural. Kass finished the song and thus Mipha and Link finished their dance. It went longer than Mipha anticipated. Kass fumbled excitedly with the keys. He bowed and departed back to the party for his fellow Rito to tell of his new song. Mipha became exhausted. She remained quiet after letting go of Link's hands.

"You've dedicated yourself in protecting the realm," she looked away to escape Link's gaze, "Your talents which will undoubtedly fulfill the king's wishes are quite admirable, if I may be honest. The bout at the tourney was proof enough of that. I saw why the king chosen you." Mipha stopped talking for a moment as if choosing her words carefully, "What if...what if you found out your not meant to follow a certain path. And yet the only thing people ever said that you were destined to fulfill a role? So, that no matter what you thought, you had to become part of the royal guard. If you were given a choice, would you chose a different path? Maybe that role did not belong to you?"

She did not hope for Link to answer. Mipha thought it inappropriate to even ask the newly appointed knight. If the rumors were actually true, then from the very beginning Link wanted to become a knight. Mipha had no right to question Link's choices. What did this young man think of her now? She knew never say her thoughts aloud.

"I must go," Mipha said, "I must be alone. I must..."

Link nodded.

Mipha tried to listen hard for the music from the dining hall. She thought one road looked familiar and followed its path. Once that turned out to be the wrong path, Mipha tried again for a path that seemed familiar only to be wrong again. She hated this castle and preferred her own. The music began to fade in louder. Mipha felt safer. She wanted to be lost in the crowd so those eyes would not spot her. Mipha found the large wooden door into the dining hall. The loud echo of the many voices reverberated off the high walls. She ran into a man with wine his hands. The glass spilt on to his ascot. Mipha apologized and apologized under the drunken man's gruff swearing. Not having anything to dry the stain, Mipha hastily used her sash. Not only did the Zora Princess enlarged the red stain but she sullied her royal sash presented by the king. Mipha refused to believed how improper this made her look. The man grumbled louder.

"Hey!" A woman said. Mipha turned around and saw Urbosa, "Is that any way to speak to a princess! A lady! Apologize!" the drunken man saw the rage in Urbosa's eyes and tried to give a comprehensible apology. "Speak up! It was so easy for you to speak before!" The man lowered his head and said he was sorry. "That's what I like to hear, now move it!"

Mipha's heart pounded. She was so tired.

"Darling are you okay? Are you feeling any better?" Urbosa said holding her by the shoulders.

"I suppose," she said. Mipha looked at her blemished sash. It was ruined.

"Aw," Urbosa saw the stain for itself, "Don't worry about that. The Gerudo know how to get any stain off any fabric."

"That's very kind," Mipha looked down, "Thank you."

"Everybody!" A royal guard announced, "King Hyrule would like to speak a few words! Everyone! Be quiet in the name of your King!"

"Hello, everyone." the king's voice boomed, "You may not know who I am, but do not fret. This is my fault. For years, I've tried to gather Hyrule's greatest warriors to defend against a foreboding presence. A presence that has been looming over Hyrule for millennia. I'm sure that most of you know what I'm talking about. Hyrule's demise." The crowd began to talk in hushed tones, but stifled any whispering when the king continued, "It is an incarnation of pure avarice and destruction that plans to destroy our land. We don't know when it will strike, but our fortune teller says it will happen soon. I along with the sheikah's many researchers been researching many old tomes of past calamities to find a way to understand this forthcoming evil. This is precisely why I have gathered Hyrule's best warriors from all corners of Hyrule in the form of the Heavenly Soldiers," he gestured toward Mipha, Link, Urbosa, and Daruk, "Let's give them a toast. And then another for our newest and final member, Link, the chosen one! The one who wields the sword that seals the darkness! Hazahh!"

Everyone cheered and raised their drinks. A squire came from the crowd holding a goblet. He was tiny man with a large head and small eyes. He held the goblet in the air trying to not to spill a single drop. His small body almost crashed into the legs of the crowd. He held the goblet to the king while catching his breath.

"Not a single droplet to be lost," the squire said. His voice was high and squeaky. King Hyrule looked the tiny man in the eye and smiled knowingly. The squire's eyes were wide and frightful. His eyebrow arched when the king drank from the goblet.

King Hyrule let the wine go down the sleeve of his robe. His sleeve drank the wine instead bleeding into the fabric. He stumbled and dropped his goblet on the floor. The Heavenly Soldiers saw this and immediately ran through the crowd to the falling King. Link appeared before anyone else did. King Hyrule's left arm turned black and withered faster than the rest of his body.

"That tiny man is running away! Toward the back door!" Someone yelled.

The Heavenly Soldiers heard this and looked toward the exit. It was difficult to find this tiny man over the crowd of on lookers.

"The squire! Stop him!"

Panicked voices flooded the room making it difficult to make any out. Daruk yelled out, "Block the doors! Block the doors! All of them! Do not let the perpetrator escape!"

Both doors were blocked off by a wall of bodies. "He's here!" A woman yelled. Everyone saw by the exit, the tiny man scrambled to get through the blocked off door. The guests simply kicked him away like swatting an annoying fly. He slowly turned around to meet his demise. The three Heavenly Soldiers looked at the tiny man. Link held King Hyrule's hand with Mipha on the floor next to him. She clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

"Please!" The tiny man pleaded to Urbosa and Daruk, "Mercy! He knew it was poisoned! He knew! Why would he drink something he knew was poisoned?"

"So you admit to poisoning him?" Daruk said cracking his knuckles.

"It wasn't my plan it was...," Urbosa towered over this tiny squire. He did not speak another word.

"Get this imposter out of my sight," Urbosa said, "Send him to the dungeon!"

The guards hauled the hollering tiny man away. Daruk led everyone out the door hollering, "All right, show's over! Show's over, Ladies and Gents!" Urbosa quickly ran to King Hyrule's side. He laid on the floor holding Link's hand. His grip was weaker on the healthy hand. On the other, it remained withered and completely black.

"My King," Link said holding King Hyrule's hand, "We are here for you."

"I'm...," he struggled to speak. Despite everyone telling him not to speak he continued, "He is right...I did know it was poison."

"Then why?" Urbosa said, "Why drink the poison?"

"To prove my proclamation. That man is from the Yiga," He struggled to breathe, "The...the end times are certainly upon us. Our intelligence have gathered more information on their plans. They have made attacks North of the Gerudo Desert and Bronas Forest Southeast of Faron. They are difficult to track but we have narrowed it down to those two places. Urbosa, you and Daruk will go to Karusa since you know the desert best.

"Lady Mipha and, you, Ser Link for will head for Bronas."

"Does this have to do anything to with rumors concerning Yiga finding a way to reach that hunk of metal in the sky?" Daruk asked.

"Maybe. Why or how they would do such a thing remains a mystery. That is why I am having you four search these areas. Even if they can somehow reach it, we cannot allow that to happen at all costs! Now, head out! "


	8. Chapter II: A Wolf at the Door

The Four Heavenly Soldiers immediately took their separate ways. Link rode beside Mipha on the dirt path. She knew of the lake named for the Goddess Hylia and the very bridge that crossed over it. A river just to the north of the lake led back to Zora's domain. She knew very little of the world outside her royal birthright and hoped Link knew where they were going. He did not say a word for all the time that passed. He did not even look around at the gorgeous scenery.

"The King must have a special interest in you to personally host the tourney, Ser Link," Mipha said.

"No need to be so formal."

"If it pleases you, Link. May I ask why this so?"

Then he was quiet again. Perhaps this was none of her business, "I'm not suppose to say. I'm forbidden from doing so."

"Under whose orders? The kings?"  
"I'm not suppose to tell you that either. I hope this gives you no offense, your grace." Mipha understood. If it was the king's orders, then she did not blame Link for following in line for such a man."Shhh!" Link stopped his horse and tried to quiet it down. "Your grace, I would advice you to please not make any sudden movements."

Mipha looked ahead and saw a giant white wolf bathing in a bond "Oh, no!" Mipha suddenly remembered Mabe, It's bigger than the other ones."

"That's because its a God, not a just a wolf." Link said as he dismounted from his horse. He ran closer to the beast. "God of the Wolves!" Link yelled. "We mean you no harm! I am here on a journey with the Zora Princess, Lady Mipha! Heiress to the Zora Domain. We must cross this bridge and seek your permission to enter the forest where your kind reign! Do we have your blessing?!"

The wolf stopped licking itself and looked at Link and Mipha. It vanished in a blur.

"Are we allowed passage?" Mipha asked one of the many questions in her head.

Link mounted his horse, "I suppose. Otherwise, ours head would be between that wolf's jaws. We must hurry."

* * *

Mipha got distracted as they passed over the bridge that spanned the entirety of Lake Hylia. It connected Hyrule Field in the north and the Faron grasslands in the south where they were headed. Mipha refused to swim. She never set foot into the Zora river. She heard that the thunder spirit passed over this bridge every so often. Mipha hoped that was not true. As painful and scary those memories still are, the beauty of this land forced her to focus on the scenery. It did not compare to the crystal blue mountains around Zora Domain. Sunlight slipped down these emerald hills that gently slopped into the lake. Link and Mipha began their gallop across the bridge. The wind splashed their faces. Hills passed by in a green blur. Soon after they passed the bridge, they were greeted by large monuments with twisted face of a monster carved into the stone outside the forest. That monster was the Lightening Spirit, Farosh. Link dismounted from his horse immediately prompting Mipha to stop.

From his pouch, revealed an apple. "Your grace, do you have an offering?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"An offering to the forest spirits. An apple, banana, or any fruit would do. It would appease the spirits that watch over this land. Safer travel."

Mipha looked through her belongings given by the king's men, "Alas, I don't have any fruit. Would Sizzlefish do?"

Link smiled, "I understand." He took out another apple and laid each one at the base of the statues.

Link fed a carrot to his horse, and climbed back on top of her. He continued into the forest with Mipha behind. Mipha decided that she should have understood the customs of this land before coming here. Tree leaves bled sunlight. This overwhelming saturation almost blinded her. Streaks of light bounced up and down each blade of grass like that of a polished sword. She did not trust the tree leaves or the bushes rustling. Something insidious hidden beneath each leaf overturned by the wind. It was like they had a life of their own. The trees, flowers, and each diamond dew drop held an entire universe teeming with its own ecosystem. It could be heard inside this forest, the sharp breath sustaining the life of every living thing. It did not like their presence. Outsiders trespassing on sacred ground. That wolf, the "God" as Link called it did not want them in the forest. The wind's sinister whispering unnerved her but Mipha remained composed ready for anything that might jump out at them. A blue beam bursted from the foliage. Mipha's frightened horse screeched on its hind legs toppling her over.

"Gah! I didn't expected them to be here!" Link turned his horse around to grab Mipha, "Lady Mipha! Are you all right?" His horse dashed toward the fallen princess, "Grab my hand!"

"Mipha reached a hand for Link and got on his horse.

"What was that?!"

Mipha's words rushed behind her as Link's horse galloped at blinding speed. She looked behind her for any sign of where that beam came from. Mipha ducked when another blue stream of light just barely missed her. She looked all around until she saw a large Guardian rush out from the bushes. Its blue glowing eye shined brighter each passing second. Link's horse jumped over a fallen log evading the blast. It exploded on contact with the trees. Small animals like hogs and squirrels ran in all directions. The stampede seemed to have confused the machine and shot energy blast haphazardly.

"Open the gate!" Link yelled.

Mipha turned to face forward to see a large gate guarded by two men. The men were startled to see the mechanical beast but ordered for the gate to be opened. The horse traveled too fast and Mipha wondered if the gate would open in time or close before the machine caught up.

"Hold on tight, Lady Mipha!" Link ordered.

Mipha wrapped her arms around Link's waist tightly. She bounced on the horses back higher and higher due to the aggressive gallop, but Link kept her from falling. Mipha kept her eyes on the opening gate. The door pulled from a pulley slowly. She faced the machine gaining on them and then back to the gate opening faster. The machine charged its beam for a direct shot at the two Heavenly Soldiers. Link zipped by the gate and ordered the men to let go of the ropes.

"Do as he says," one knight yelled. The men hesitated but did so anyway. The gate slammed shut. An explosion bombarded the gate but it did not yield. Link turned the horse to face the gate.

"Get away from the gate! It might not hold!"

It could clearly hear that the machine bombarded the gate again and again. The gate shook violently. People gathered around the area for the commotion.

"Everyone," Link yelled, "Get away! It's too dangerous!"  
The machine toppled the door and began its chase again. Link turned the horse around and galloped forward. Mipha did not understand where Link was going. He might have tried to evade the machine by weaving around the houses. The machine, however, could not get a lock on its target. It stumbled awkwardly around the huts, but only crashed and turned itself over. People and farm animals ran amok while the machine tried to get back in the right position. It gave up on Link and tried to target everything else. Link saw this and turned the horse around. Link dash toward the machine. Mipha saw that he jumped to stand on two legs on the horse's back and then jumped into the air. Before Mipha or anyone knew it, the machine stopped and its eye turned off. An arrow stuck to its eye. Its head started to twist erratically and exploded. He replaced his bow and arrow on his back.

"Lady Mipha," he turned his back to acknowledge the princess seemingly unfazed by the whole ordeal, "Are you harmed?"

"No, thank you" was all she said, "That was a Guardian. You know what those are?"

Link took a deep breath, "They're suppose to be dormant. Lately, they have been out of control. Why? I don't know."

A knight approached Link angrily, "You caused a lot of trouble bringing that thing here."

"I didn't think one of them would be out here."

"Well, now what are we suppose to do?!" Spit came from his mouth, "Some of our houses are destroyed which we just finished building! Most of our animals are gone and barely have any to produce food. Our crops are on fire and one of our best knights is injured! And to top it all off, our only protection from the outside to broken! Why? Because of some brat on a horse."

"I apologize, ser," Link said plainly, "It snuck up on us. If I known that a village was here I would have sent it to another direction. I could make it up to you."  
"I don't see how you can possibly do that! You've caused enough trouble!"

"I can feed your village."

"An entire village?" he spat on the ground, "and how would one child feed what?" he looked around at the villagers, "A hundred people?"

"Just give me a few ingredients and a cooking pot and I could feed five times that. Lady Mipha could help." He looked over Link's head at the Zora princess. The knight's eyes lit up.

"I'll be able to heal your fallen soldier and help serve whatever Link makes."  
"Really?"  
"Yes," the princess said quietly, "It is my pleasure."

* * *

The moon illuminated a stream of mushroomed slurry that fell from Link's ladel into a wooden bowl. He passed the bowl to the next person in line. The line reached from the gate to the cooking pot. The light from the torches surrounding Link illuminated everyone's heart. Mipha's gentle smile alone spread new found hope to the children. After they received their portion of soup, they sat around Mipha who told them a story,

"The Guardian seemed unstoppable. Our best soldiers' spears barely left a scratch on its metal hull. It was then that, my father, our King Dorephan, without a thought for his own safety, came out to face the Guardian himself," the child on her lap stared at the princess with eyes wide with fear and excitement.

"Oooohhhh!" the children wailed.

"With supernatural strength, he lifted the Guardian and hurled it into a ravine. The impact of the fall left the Guardian in pieces, and it was never to trouble another Zora ever again," the children cheered and clapped. "The citizens celebrated the king's valor. From then on, their trust and respect for him grew beyond compare. You can still see the scar he earned that day on his forehead—a token of his triumph." A child who received her bowl a short while ago quietly came to Mipha. She politely asked the child to wait until everyone has finished for seconds. She did not have a bowl but instead a wreath of flowers hidden behind her back. The blushing child got to her tip toes and whispered to Mipha to give the wreath of flowers to Link. Mipha gladly obliged and set the wreath on top of Link's head. The child ran away before everyone laughed as well as Mipha. She could not believe Link could make so much soup with a few ingredients. He continued serving the with the wreath around his head. The knight from before held out a bowl.

"Forgive my harshness," the knight said, "I didn't realize you were wearing that tunic. I mistook you for a mere child. Everything has been quite frustrating lately. Robbers and all that."  
"I understand," Link poured the soup, "It's not just here but everywhere its like this. I didn't make it any better. Are there more guardians in the area?"

"It's been reported that a few have been going haywire in Hyrule Field near the castle. Nothing, however, like the one that attacked you and...," the knight looked at Mipha who laughed with the children. Before her honey colored eyes meet his, he quickly adverted them.

"Then that means its only getting worse."

"Why are you two here, Ser?" The knight pondered.

"Under the personal order of King Hyrule. Staying here is gonna slow us down, but...," he looked between two houses across from him and saw three masked people huddled near a guidance stone adorned with flowers. Link recognized the symbol on the mask. A purple eye with a single tear drop. They stared at Mipha and Link for the entire day.

He whispered something to Mipha and agreed. Link gave Mipha his ladle and bowl. He stood between the lines and took out his flute. "Gather 'round my children and listen hard."

All the children stopped running around laughing and sat in a circle around Link. The song he played was so playful. It reawakened a sense of merriment long forgotten. It seemed as though everyone forgotten about the machine that ravaged their village and fallen under the spell of Link's song. Children pranced along and even squirrels and rabbits gathered to listen. Mipha realized then how malnourished these children appeared. Even the adults. Their smiles could not hide the sadness in their eyes. Her small world of the Zora Domain seemed like a paradise compared to the outside. She did not like it, but it became easy to forget about all that when listening to Link's song.

"That was a fun tune," Mipha said later that night to Link. They sat by a fire set by Link. Villagers round up their kids to be tucked in. The knights remained to survey the area. "You're very talented." Once or twice she hummed the song unconsciously.

"That's very kind of you, your grace." Link took the fish that finished cooking in the fire.

"I keep thinking about that song you played at the funeral. Ser Baumar must have meant very much to you. As for me...it reminded me of my mother."

"Oh...," Link realized what this meant, "I'm sorry."

"She passed away when I was very little."

 _Mommy! Help me!_

"You should count yourself lucky. I didn't know my mother or my father," Link took another bite from the fish, "I was told that the Great Deku Tree found me when I was a baby. When I was old enough, I left the forest and was taken in by a woman traveling with the Royal Guard. I don't know if she was actually a knight or not. Eventually she died, and all I had left was the Royal Guard. Despite being older, Baumar was my closest friend. He taught me the way of the sword, but I eventually surpassed him. I defeated adults in single combat at the age of four."

"I don't doubt it," Mipha remembered the fight at the tourney, "You're a more apt soldier than I could ever be."

"When I turned seventeen, the Great Deku Tree summoned me to his forest. There I claimed the Master Sword."

Mipha saw it more clearly now. The sword was a double edge longsword with a purple hilt. The cross guard was noticeably large and bared the Hyrule Royal family seal., "That's the sword that seals the darkness. Even the Zora know of it."

"It chose me. Its just like any sword carrying the same burden as any other. I asked The Great Deku Tree will it keep me safe, but he said, 'NO! There is no safety in a sword. A sword brings death it does not give life. It is a responsibility. A burden. It is not a gift. It is a curse!'"

"Hmmm, I believe differently," Mipha said. She saw her Light Scale Trident, "I believe that these weapons are meant to protect. Like how you used your arrows to protect these people. We are the Heavenly Knights. While we may kill those evil doers, we protect those who are weaker than ourselves. That is a knight. Perhaps it makes it us cruel, but the lotus blooms in the murkiest waters. That is what my mother use to say." Mipha wished she actually believed in those words.

Link looked at Mipha as she said these words, and looked into her calm kind eyes looking at her trident. She met Link's gaze, "You're very compassionate, Lady Mipha." Link broke their gaze when he looked at the men at the guidance. They had not moved. "Excuse me, your grace."

Link carried his sword with him to the huddled men and joined them, "Did the king sent you?" They spoke in whispered tones.

"No, Ser Link. We are here under orders of Lady Impa of the Shieka Clan." One of the masked men said.

"How did you know I would be here?"

"Fate, ser." He looked at Mipha quickly, "It seems you were successful in bringing the Zora Princess. Again, it was fate for her to come here with you. Did Lady Impa tell you this."

"Like always she's vague. She just told me that I would be anointed as a Heavenly Soldier and I should accept and follow the King's orders."

"You were and you did."

"That is all we ask of you."

"What else does she want me to do?"

"To stay here."

"How long?"

"As long as it takes."

"What does that mean?"

A woman screamed. Everyone looked in the direction of the screech and Link saw a black sillouhette at the highest building against the moon. It was a large wolf with a person riding it. The wolf's large paws stomped down the roof. It jumped into the air and landed on the ground. Villagers ran away hiding inside or under the huts. The wolf saw a running chicken and snatched it between its large jaws. Blood black in the moonlight ran down from between its teeth. Several knights gathered around the wolf ready to attack. Their swords swiped at it, but the wolf's claws ripped through their armor like summer's cloth. It ate two of them before the others ran away.

"There!" The young woman pointed her spear at Mipha.

Link looked at Mipha and then at the masked men. "We all must play our roles, Ser Link," and then they disappeared.

Link focused on the wolf and the girl. "Stop!" Link yelled, but the young girl launched herself at the Zora Princess.

Link tried to chase her, but the wolf got between her and him, "I do not wish to harm you."

"Well, good! Then it will be easy for me to crush your fragile skull in my jaw," the wolf snarled. Its teeth were still red from the chicken's blood.

The young woman ran for Mipha and clashed her spear with Mipha's trident. "My mother told me you wore that blue sash! You're part of that horrid man's guard," her words were venom spitting between her sharpened canines, "I shall eat you, pick your meat from my teeth with your very bones and then kill the boy!"  
"No, you may not!" Mipha let go of the clash. This woman fought erratically. Jumping, flipping, and yelling with instinct trying to confuse Mipha.

Link evaded the giant wolf in a test of endurance. When close enough, the wolf snapped its jaws. The stench of its breath made Link's eyes water. The wolf managed to push Link down and snapped its jaws on the sword. The wolf bit down hard enough to break its tooth, but it kept Link down with it paw.

"Ready! Aim!" Link heard the knight's order commanding the unit to fire explosive shells. He looked in their direction, "Don't! Stop your fire!" Link winced at the pain of the toenails digging into his skin. "Fire!"

The sizzling fire ate away at the wick, and a shell fired at the wolf. The wolf noticed too late and the shell made a direct hit. The wolf flew in the direction of the shell and crashed into a house. The inhabitants ran away before the shell went off and exploded. The house collapsed in a fire. The woman noticed this and Mipha managed to slice her cheek. She evaded quickly until Link grabbed her and Mipha's arm. He looked at the woman. She tried to struggle free biting Link's arm but he was unfazed.

"Link, what are you..." Mipha asked but Link did not pay attention to her.

"Your eyes are clouded by hate. It's twisting your soul. It will get you killed!" Link stated.

"Of course," the woman spoke, "I hate you. I hate that mermaid. I hate whatever that king stands for! I'll kill all of you and anyone foolish enough to get in my way! Even if it kills _me_!"

"You can't die. Not like this. It is not how it is suppose to be!" Link let go before the wolf bit his arm off. The wolf could barely stand. Its fur now singed black where the shell fired. Link smelled the meat. The wolf struggled to stand but stood between Link and the woman. It roared to attack, but the woman stopped it.

"No! Let's go!"

The woman mounted the wolf. It jumped high on top the roof and howled to the moon before melting into the black. Link turned to Mipha, "I'm sorry for grabbing you, Lady Mipha."

"It's okay," Mipha said, "You tried to handle the situation."

" It's too dangerous to stay here and not just for us."

They turned over to the villagers. The light of the burning hut revealed the sadness and anger in their eyes. Link whistled and the white horse returned to him. Mipha mounted the horse with Link.

A heavy gale almost toppled Mipha from the horse. In the sky, a large bird posed in the middle of the moon. The moonlight revealed it to be Revali. He swooped down toward the burning buildings and commanded the wind so that it extinguished the fire like a sharp blow to a lit candlewick. He also saved what remained of the crops. Everyone cheered as Revali flipped and somersaulted in the air and finally landed in front of Link and Mipha.

"Your first day out and you already burn everything down," Revali said.

"Revali," Mipha said.

"Now, now. Don't thank me just yet, princess. I took the liberty of joining you on your journey. You might need the help." Revali brushed the soot off his scarf.


	9. Chapter III: Land of my Father's

A blue flash darted between the trees. Mipha and Link watched Revali soar over their heads until he landed back on the ground, "I see a temple north of here. It could possibly be a Yiga hideout. You can't miss it. Other than that I don't see anything else in our way."

"No wolves? No Lizalfos?" Mipha asked.

"Hey, if you don't believe me, you can climb the trees and see for yourself."

"That won't be needed," Link continued on horseback north with Mipha. Revali roosted from tree to tree when they caught up to him.

The forest became denser. Sweat stained the back of Link's tunic due to the humid air. The haze was a comforting warm spray of water over the Zora Princess' body. It warped the banana leaves and foliage into a green mist. Shimmering light glazed over the rivers and waterfalls that gushed over the vertical drop into pools of rivers. It made Mipha homesick, but then realized the soft featured faces of the statues twisted into malignant monsters that resembled Farosh. They encountered more statues hidden amongst the leaves than before. The groundwater swelled into a stream armored with rocks. Upstream, green slime made these rocks less apparent. Ugly toxic algal blooms budded green gelatinous globules. Further ahead, the stream fed a rocky creek colonized by the slime. It plagued the confrontation between the stream and the rocks. It produced an unpleasant smell so poignant. The color was unmistakably lime green, but a thick blue layer scummed the edges. Sinuous threads spiraled in the lumpy coagulated water.

"Revali," Mipha raised her voice, "if I may ask, how are the others doing? Daruk and Urbosa?"

"Huh? Oh, that big lug and the diva? Haven't seen them, but it was a good thing I decided to follow the kid to clean up the mess he made."

Link focused on the way forward, but Mipha said, "He did more good than harm, Revali. With only a few ingredients he fed a hundred people. Everyone was grateful."

"Do I hear a little admiration in your voice, princess? Did you give him that stupid floral wreath on his head?"

"One of the kids gave it to him as a gift. She was sweet and too thin for a child. You should have seen them, Revali. It was heartbreaking seeing starving children."

"They're going to be more starving tomorrow. I'm not blaming him, I'm just saying that you two should stick to the king's orders and not get sidetracked."

"You weren't there Revali," Mipha said, "We were attacked twice. You got there during the aftermath of battle. A giant wolf attacked us and the villagers. A god! A woman rode it, too. She was out for blood. Our blood. "

"Well, excuse me, princess, but I can't know everything."

Link halted the horse, "Everyone be quiet."

Mipha and Revali stopped to listen for whatever Link heard. Mipha thought it was the wolf girl. She readied her trident. The horse became agitated making noises but Link soothed her until she became docile. The sound of cicadas made it difficult to hear any particular noise.

"All I hear is...," Revali said before the trees began to move erratically followed by a loud crashing noise. It shook the ground. Though, they did not see it, Revali thought it might have been a large animal. He did not think this would be possible because no animal in nature, to his knowledge, produced such a noise. The closer he came to categorize the sound the more the noise attempted to blur his perception of it. At first, Mipha thought it might have been the wolf, but trees snapped and cracked under some enormous power. Birds flew from the trees and blotted out the sun.

"All I heard was that," Link said, "Revali...,"  
"Yeah, yeah," Revali said quickly.

Revali soared high into the sky to find the source of this noise only to find birds flying away. He returned to the tree closest to the others, "I don't see anything."

"Keep your guard up you two."

"Eeeeaahhh!" Someone yelled from the bushes. Birds flew from the foliage. Their wings splashed against Link and Mipha's faces. They brushed them out of the way to see a man running in their direction. The bird's beaks stabbed his arms and through his garb. He saw Link and Mipha and put his hands in front of him once he saw their weapon, "Please don't harm me!"

"We mean you no harm, good sir," Mipha said. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," the man said, "I, I think so. Did you not hear that noise?"

"We did," Link said.

"Then why aren't you running?"

"We are under orders of King Hyrule to go to that temple in the distance."

"You're of the royal guard?"

"Of course not!" Revali swooped down, "Don't think we're one of those lowly peons. We are three of the five Heavenly Soldiers! First and foremost, I am Revali of the Rito village." He bowed and directed a wing at Mipha, "This is Lady Mipha! Princess and heir to Zora Domain. Don't let her small frame fool you! She is an above average fighter and not to mention a swell swimmer! And this is...," he looked at Link, "Eehhh, Link. He's new."

"I've heard of you!" the man said.

"Why thanks, I..." Revali said but the man walked passed him toward Mipha.

"Is it true that you can swim up waterfalls?"

Mipha said, "Why yes, but all Zora can. I'm no one particular."

"You're a princess, though, and a beautiful one at that. The honor is mine." He lifted up Mipha's hand and kissed the back of it. Mipha looked away bashfully. "I always wanted to meet a princess." He then looked to Link.

"And Link was it? I've heard all about you. Can you really wrestle and best Gorons?"

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear."

"Can we pick up the pace?" Revali said agitated, "What did I say about being sidetracked?"

"Is it alright that I come with you?" The man said.

"And why would we do that?" Revali said.

"This place is dangerous and if you're going toward that temple, I know the way. This forest is a second home. I know every tree and way around that temple. As a curious child, I use to go inside excavating that holy monument despite my parents warnings. Not everyone can bypass it. We can keep each other safe. It would be an honor to serve the Heavenly Soldiers."

"Where do you hail from good traveler?" Link asked.

"A small fishing hamlet called Lurelin out in the west."

"Your name?"

"Nobo," he bowed.

"Well, Nobo," Link said, "lead the way."

* * *

Revali kept himself in front adjusting his path whenever the man turned them a different direction. Nobo shared his life with the two Heavenly Soldiers and his many adventures in this forest. He pointed to a waterfall and related the time when he and his friends dared each other to dive from the top. Nobo bragged that out of all of his friends, he was the only one who dived. Nobo also told them about the time he wooed a Gerudo woman at Lover's Pond. This pond was north of his village on top of the mountain. The myth goes that whoever goes there shall meet their soul mate. Every day he climbed there he found no woman until he saw a Gerudo woman. Being too nervous he waited for her to make the first move. Nobo knew how straightforward those women can be. Mipha immediately thought of Urbosa. Oddly enough, Nobo continued, the Gerudo did not come up to him. Nobo spent the next couple days thinking on what to say until he came up with a great idea. Blue night shade grew all around the pond. One day he came up to the Gerudo and handed her the flower awkwardly,

"'All right,' she said to me, 'you finally stopped wasting time and came up to me. Speak your piece!' I didn't know what she meant, then she said, 'No! You're doing this wrong! You're suppose to say '"I like you and I want to go out with you!'" I was so happy at that point so I said, 'Hey, I like you and I would like to go out with you, too!' but then she said, 'Uh..., well is that it then? Just one measly flower?' So I got her a banquet of flowers the next day and then we went out."

"Sounds like she got you whipped, buddy." Revali said. "You're lucky you didn't meet Urbosa. She would not have waited so long. She's stubborn like that."

"Who is that?" Nobo looked around for an answer.

"Urbosa is a Heavenly Soldier representing the Gerudo," Mipha said.

"She must be really beautiful, then."

"She's really something all right," Revali said.

"Do you have a soul mate, my princess?" Nobo winked at Mipha slyly.

"Me?" Mipha blushed, "Oh, no. I haven't met him yet."

"You're a princess," Nobo asked, "You can have any Zora or man you want." He then arched an eyebrow, "Can a Zora and a human be together?"

"Ummmm...," Mipha thought for a moment.

"How would they even...," Revali stopped mid sentence when he pushed away a large bananna leaf. It revealed the raised platforms of the temple he saw earlier. In front of Revali, an avenue of aged clay bricks led to the temple at the end. It was the tallest and largest out of a family of large residential compounds. It resemble a city long forgotten. Tall statues of the lightening spirit guarded the border. Link and Nobo reached into their belongings for a fruit and walked toward each statue. Link rested an apple while Nobo rested a banana. Learning from her past encounter of this statue, Mipha reached into her pouch and grabbed a durant. She followed the two men Revali and laid the durant in front of the statue.

"What is this, a picnic?" Revali said.

"Oh," Nobo shook his head fretfully, "We must be respectful towards the lightening spirit. Giving it an offering of fruit will appease it and make our trek into its place of worship much safer. Otherwise, we and our children's children will be cursed."

"That's all right and good if you believe in that stuff," Revali walked up to the man with his hands to his hips, "but there will be no curse on me. I'll be fine."

"It will at least give you luck, ser."

"I make my own luck. I'll do a look out for anything suspicious. If I see anything, I give you a sqwuak." Revali said before he caused an updraft and flew away.

"That wind came out of nowhere!" Nobo said watching Revali fly away.

"He's fine on his own," Link said helping Mipha up on his horse. "You did good," Link whispered to Mipha.

* * *

Link, Mipha, and Nobo treaded carefully in the desolate cityscape. Mipha saw the face of Farosh imprinted into most of the bricks. Its gazed met hers. Even though it was just a representation of the spirit, its presence could be felt in these aged rocks. Statues of Farosh guarded the bottom of the each stair leading into the temples. Just like the statue from before, its body coiled upward and its face stared angerily forward. Mipha tried to escape its gaze but it watched her in all directions. In the sky, Mipha saw Revali fly around until he went ahead to roost on the temple at the end.

"After all these years," Nobo said, "and this place still shudders my very being."

"Have you ever seen the lightening spirit?"

Nobo's laugh shook, "I thank the gods I haven't. From the look of those statues, I don't want to."

"It bears no ill will toward anyone," Link said.

"No one has seen it in the current age," Nobo said, "I don't blame it. Things have been going mad for ages. More and more monsters ravage the land. Its all a sign. The gods have forgotten us it seems."

"There is an old saying that "'the dragon ascends to the heavens once the sun sets,'" Mipha quoted.

"That's just a saying," Nobo said. "Have you seen that thing in the sky? Nah Medoh."

"That's why we're are here," Mipha said.

"People say its not actually a machine, but a living being. A god, perhaps, like Farosh. It's teeming with life undisturbed by people. A utopia. We have angered it. That's why those machines have the same markings as the bird. The bird sent them down to end all human life once and for all. The king made it worse by stealing their machinery and using it for his own selfish purposes."

"The king wanted to use them to protect his people," Mipha said.

"It's admirable you have faith in him, princess. Forgive my offense."

The sun began to set behind one of the temples and the moon risen from another. Revali stood wings crossed at the temple everyone headed for.

"I've been waiting," Revali said, "and there are no monsters by the way."

"Thank you for the survelliance, Master Revali." Nobo said

"You're welcome," Revali bowed, "At least somebody here appreciates my help. You're quite alright Nobo."

Link and Mipha dismounted from the horse. Link pat the horse, fed her a carrot, and told her to stay at the bottom of the stairs. Nobo led Mipha and Link up the stairs with Revali already flown to the top. They could see the very top of the trees and even the mountains. The Hylian Bridge held Mipha's gaze. She swore this templed itself ascended to the heavens. Smaller statues of the lightening spirit's head followed them up the temple. By the time they finally reached the top of the temple, it gotten dark. Revali rolled his eyes at Link and Mipha for taking too long to reach him.

"Hold on, hold on, Master Revali!" Nobo stepped in front of Revali, "Please let me lead you. It is very dangerous and you do not know the way!"

Revali sighed, "I suppose you can lead for a short amount of time."

"Thank you," Nobo said.

The temple swallowed the darkness of the outside. It surrounded them making it difficult to see more than a few inches. Nobo stopped several feet inside. He reached into his bag and retrieved flint. He stood taller on his tip toes to reach a torch and stroke a knife against the flint. Sparks flashed in the darkness until a fire lit the torch. A stream of fire rushed from the torch. It ran on side of the room to the next. On one side of the room, sparks flew from the stream on the ground. It ignited another trail of fire that led to the middle of the room. Sparks flew from the stream nearest to the entrance and ignited another trail that led to the middle of the room. It formed the face of Farosh. Everyone carefully treaded the room walking over the trail of fire.

"This is all that is here," Nobo said, "All the other temples are empty. Why did the king sent you here in the first place?"

To see if the Yiga were hiding here," Revali said, "I could see why. This place is long abandoned."

"Why would the Yiga come here?"

"Certainly, it wasn't for the fireworks." Revali inspected the walls. Engraved on the walls were ancient markings that matched the guardians'. Some resembled birds and Revali swore it reminded him of the Rito. "This is impressive and all, but there is nothing here! I knew I should have followed the Goron."

"I didn't know you quit so easily," Link said patting the wall.

"Did I say I do?" Revali spat back at Link.

One of the stone blocks Link patted pushed inside the wall. A stone slab lifted into the ceiling, but another stone slab blocked the entrance. "Nice going!" Revali complained, "Now there's no way out. What could the Yiga get from this temple? There is nothing but bones and engravings in the walls!"

A loud roar shook the foundation. It sounded like it came from the same monster from before. Pieces of the ceiling crashed and crumbled on the ground. A large green serpent flew slowly from the opened ceiling. It caused a heavy draft almost pushing everyone down. They put their hands up to block the bones spraying all over the room. The dragon's body suggested a river, flowing and graceful. Its scales sparked lightening and its feet were not unlike a chickens but more similar to Revali's claws. When its claws touched the ground, it caused everyone to jump into the air several feet. Its squished face emoted a constant state of anger directed specifically for them.


	10. ChapterIV:(I've Had)The Time of my Life

The Gerudo chief departed with Daruk in the opposite direction of Mipha and Link. A proud tribe of warrior women. No men were allowed in the city she protected. The only exception was her brother, the first and future king of the Gerudo in last century. Many of the women were not impressed with such an unopposing male Gerudo and constantly chided him. Urbosa taught them respect. Urbosa had to protect her brother and teach him how to keep his future subjects in line.

"Wait..." Daruk realized where they were. They were about to cross Digdogg Bridge that connected several islands. It led to the Gerudo Canyon. Daruk looked the opposite way, but Urbosa scudded pass him. "Isn't Rito village thataway?"

"Hey, if you want to waste time squawking with that bird, be my guest."

Daruk followed Urbosa instead. There was a stable at the end of the Gerudo Canyon Pass. Treasure hunters or even bandits might know something about a hideout. If not there, than the Bazaar or even her own city would have to do. The guards would allow a Goron within the city limits. Urbosa was not even sure if there were any female Gorons. Her mind then wandered to Mipha. The princess had been so utterly withdrawn lately. The Zora never cracked a smile. Did those thoughts of despair come back? The very look of the princess today answered that. Though, Urbosa did see a glimmer in Mipha's eye during Link's bout at the tourney and with good reason. That god-like speed is what the Heavenly Soldiers need. Urbosa smiled at the thought of someone putting that egoistical bird in his place.

Urbosa and Daruk entered the bisected cliff. Years of dust blowing against the baked red clay made it easy for traders and merchants to enter the desert. Naturally, many were male trying to enter Gerudo City. Once or even twice a man had snuck his way passed the guards. Urbosa laughed at the idea of these lawbreakers trespassing on her land. Sitting on her throne, Urbosa often wondered if her very people let these men sneak in. She knew they had grown lonely seeking a desirable mate. The numbers of her population dwindled each day. The woman sought the four corners of Hyrule for a mate. They never returned knowing the strict nature of their tradition. Urbosa often thought of finding a mate of her own. She wanted a man quite like Daruk. Strong willed with a keen sense of protecting one's own, but also warm.

"Let's begin here," Urbosa said as she and Daruk approached the stable.

A tent mounted beside the canyon wall. Here a traveler or their horse could rest. A cooking pot rested over a fire. Several people huddled near it, but not anyone that seemed daring to travel the world alone. Urbosa even noticed several men disguised by the gerudo veil and the standard Gerudo garb. Stars bejeweled their twinkling sirwals. What gave it away was how bad they applied their make up. The guards should toss them out immediately. They stood around a pillar of stone curiously growing mushrooms out of it. Urbosa noticed those Rushrooms grew everywhere around Hyrule even in the desert where it never rained. Urbosa and Daruk scouted the area for potential traveling merchants, but only interesting character was a muscular merchant with a gigantic pack on his back. He wore clothes too small for him. His large red nose pointed at them. Despite the size of his bag, he dashed up to Daruk.

"Wow!" the merchant exclaimed, "I've never seen a Goron up close. I tried going to the Goron Village but its soooo hot up here. The air is literally on fire!"

"Well met, traveler," Urbosa said.

The man saw Urbosa and his jaw dropped, "Wow! You are quite the beauty! You're from the Gerudo Village? I never been in the city, but of course not as you can see." He gestured at his body, "The name is Beedle! I have traveled all the world and know many things! Ask me anything, but first buy something. The pack on my back puts you on the right track!"  
"That won't be needed, kind sir." Urbosa said. "We are on a special mission. We are looking for information on the Yiga...,"

This man named Beedle shivered, "T-the Yiga. Beware the Eye of the Yiga!"

"Yes," Urbosa said, "Do you have any information regarding the Yiga Hideout? Supposedly, there is a hideout that contains stolen information that belongs to King Hyrule's consorts. Does any of this ring a bell."

Beedle's teeth shattered, "No, I-I don't think so. You should try the Bazaar. A group of treasure hunters were looking for something like that. Gods know why!"

Urbosa's green lips curled to a smile, "That sounds like a good idea. Perhaps, me and my friend here can be served some drinks while we look. Thank you, Beedle."

"Whatever I can do to help!"

* * *

Urbosa and Daruk entered the vast wasteland of the Gerudo Desert. During the day it was quiet almost peaceful. The mountains of the Gerudo Highlands danced in the wild heat. At night, the glowing eyes of the desert fauna floated in the darkness for their prey. Dunes sung their song when the wind kicked up their dust. Urbosa's people believed that at night when a traveler is lost, they hear this beautiful sound. They believed it was a woman singing a lullaby to them before they closed their eyes forever due to the freezing night. Others believed if they followed this voice, it led them to a beautiful Gerudo woman who would get them out of the desert to safety. The Gerudo women responded to this fable and built statues of women scattered throughout the desert that pointed toward the Gerudo City. Be it a man who is one the last inch of his life, the Gerudo women kindly took of him before warning to never tread foolishly in the desert and kicking them out.

Urbosa stopped immediately before stepping foot at the Bazaar. Daruk stopped when he noticed that Urbosa tried to focus on something behind them.

"All right coward," she said, "Come out! You've been following us since the bridge. Come out and face us!" Daruk looked around and saw no one, "Daruk watch out!"

Daruk rolled out of way when a blade of wind sliced the air behind him. A tall, muscular man clothed in black and red wearing a white mask appeared almost out of nowhere. The vendors and customers of the bazaar jumped up to witness the attack. Urbosa and Daruk identified the man as a Yiga member by the eye on his mask.

"Who sent you!" Urbosa commanded, "In the name of King Hyrule and the Gerudo women, tell us!"

The man held his stance. The tucked his blade under him and slashed the air. Another blade of wind hurled toward Urbosa. She held her hand up, caught the wind, and sent it back at the Yiga Clan member with the force of a hurricane. It blew him back with such force, he crashed on a vendors table. The vendor ran away with his exotic animals running in all directions. Everyone started to run away. Some jumped into baskets or hid inside the flying carpet shop. Urbosa walked casually toward the Yiga man and unmasked him. She lifted him by the collar,

"You're gonna have to try better than that to stop us. I'll ask again nicely, why did you attack us."

The man smiled, "That's who we are. All hail the Demon King!"

"Shut up!"

The man chuckled, "Oohh, sweetheart, the Demon King is handling matters much bigger than any of us."

"Stop with the nonsense! If you don't, I'll have my friend grind your bones to dust until you tell us exactly what we need to know."

"Heh, you'll have to try harder than that," from one of his pockets, the Yiga clan member took out a ignited bomb.

Daruk grabbed Urbosa quickly and threw her aside. The bomb exploded while Urbosa hit face first into the sand. Debris flew everywhere. Planks of wood and rock plummeted to the sand.

"Daruk!"

From the smoke, Daruk stood above a splatter of blood. He was covered head to toe with soot.

"Ugh," Daruk coughed up smoke, "I'm alright. It just tickled. Are you okay, I hope I didn't throw you too hard."

"I'm fine, thank you," Urbosa walked over to the impression of blood made from the Yiga man, "Its too bad he took his own life. He could have made things a lot easier for us."

"Who's the Demon King?" Daruk asked.

"I know no such thing!," Urbosa screeched, "I'm going to clean up."

Daruk headed toward the pond in the middle of the Bazaar.

Urbosa looked around for anyone still in hiding, "It's okay everyone. There's nothing to fear anymore." The people who were in hiding still looked weary as they came out.

"Get that lady a drink!" Someone's voice called. It belonged to a woman wrapped in a cloak. She came toward Urbosa. Blonde hair fell from her turban. Goggles shielded her blue eyes that stared at Urbosa eagerly. "My name is Shiek," This woman named Shiek bowed, "I'm a trader in fine artifacts and something tells me that your no ordinary Gerudo woman."

"I am Urbosa chief of the Gerudo tribe. Pleasure darling." She shook hands Sheik.

"I was here expecting to relax until you two show up with fireworks." She looked at the spot of blood. "Almost gotta feel sorry for the man. Almost." She looked up at Urbosa again, "Why did you he attack you?"

"I'm here on special orders from King Hyrule to find the Yiga Hideout. They have something we want."

Sheik winked, "Then we have something in common, your highness. It is said that the Yiga have treasure in this hideout that is located in the Gerudo desert. Supposedly, there is a hideout northwest of here. It's filled with treasure of insurmountable wealth. Though, the sandstorm keeps people at bay."

"So there is a hideout here?" Urbosa said.

"Most likely, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to find that treasure. I plan to leave midday when the sandstorm dies down. I have everything ready. Wanna join me?"

"I would call it a date," Urbosa green lips curled to a smile, "but it sounds too good to be true."

"You're right it does. Want to talk about it over drinks. I'm buying."

Daruk joined Urbosa and the woman named Sheik. Sheik unmasked herself revealing a face of a noble woman. She became shifty eyed when entering the bar. People still remained after the fight. Their faces were hard to make out due to the sand or turbans that completely covered them. Sheik picked out a table at the far corner. Daruk awkwardly tried to sit down with the women, but gave up and decided to lean against the wall. Sheik yelled to the bar tender impatiently for their orders. Urbosa ordered the Noble Pursuit, a delicacy served only in the Gerudo desert. Daruk jumped for the chance to be served Rock Hard candy which he explained consisted of wood and miscellaneous gems.

"I like a girl who can hold her liquor. I'll be needing some myself for the journey ahead." Sheik leaned back on the chair placing one foot on the edge of the table. "So, this king guy wants you and the Goron to find...what exactly?"

"We don't have the slightest idea, hon." Urbosa crossed her arms, "The discussion was pretty quick. He was gravely injured."

"He told us," Daruk added, "To go Northwest of Gerudo City. Where northwest?" Daruk shrugged, "Anyone's guess."

"Hmmm," Sheik crossed her arms and closed her eyes, "Is it just you two?"

"Were actually part of a larger group. They are on the other side of Hyrule." Daruk said, "The Zora Princess, an archer from the Rito tribe, and...,

"You mean the tribe of avian warriors where the males are archers and the females just sing all day," Eva's mocking tone was underlined with resentment. Urbosa smiled.

"Uhhh, yeah," Daruk said, "and our newest member a Hylian who acquired the sword that seals the darkness."

Sheik's eyes were wide, "The Blade of Evil's...," Sheik cleared her throat, "Sounds like the king gathered a rag tag team."

 _"Is that why King Hyrule chose him?"_ Urbosa whispered to Daruk.

"So the king has this group of misfits locating the Yiga Clan for...what exactly?"

Daruk and Urbosa looked at each other and then at Sheik , "We're not entirely sure."

Hmmm...," They could see the gears turning in Sheik's head.

"We think that it might have something to do with the Great Medoh of the Sky. It might be connected to the Guardians."

"The Great Medoh?" Sheik snickered, "You believe in those fairytales?"

"It flies around the land of Hyrule aimlessly. It said that the technology used for the Guardians comes from the Great Medoh. If the Yiga finds a way to get close to it, who knows what that means for the likes of us. The technology belongs to the king and his researchers." Urbosa said. "Have you ever been outside the Gerudo Desert?"

"Big boys and their toys," Sheik sniffed, "I am not familiar with Guardian thingamajigs. There are a great plenty inert Guardians throughout the desert. People out here worship them as holy relics. Its a bit annoying and troublesome. I salvage whatever I can from them and sell them to merchants for rubies and sapphires."

"That technology belongs to king!" Urbosa said.

"What is he going to do with a few broken toys. From what I can tell that technology is ancient, but far more advanced than any cog wheels and windmills we have. It all goes over my head. Regardless," Sheik planted her feet on the ground and pulled the chair forward, "You two appear to have seen a battle or two in your time. I need people like that to get me into this Yiga or whatever hideout to find any treasure inside. It's probably heavily guarded with traps and clan members. I know plenty of people who wanted to find that hideout but never returned. You can get me through all that after I lead you to the hideout. You get their plans and I get their all their treasure and I mean _all_ of it. Sound like a deal?"

"I like your spunk," Daruk said. "Whattdaya think, Urbosa?"

As the leader of Gerudo, Urbosa might have felt insulted by this shifty eyed vagrant. However, she was honest and straightforward, "I'm all yours."

"Alright! Then its a threesome!" Sheik shouted with wide grin. All eyes darted toward her. She slammed her fist on the table, "Bartender! Where are our drinks?!"

* * *

The sun began to climb to its highest. After drinks and meal, Urbosa, Daruk, and Shiek left the bar immediately. Sheik led them to the far end of the Bazaar just outside the Gerudo Desert. Several cloaked people gathered around to grope a vehicle. Urbosa was not sure if they were even people. They were small and easily frightened when Sheik yelled at them to get away. As these creatures scrambled, they muttered what sounded like nonsense. The vehicle was a made of brown metal and equipped with runners used to slide across the sand. These runners had elaborate markings. A rope tied to each runner held two large Sand Seals to carry the weight of the runner. Sheik jumped onto the helm of what she deemed her "Sand Raft". Shiek tapped her finger on a blank panel built on a stand as if pressing buttons. A blue light in the middle of the stand turned on. The sand raft gently vibrated. The markings on the runner glowed red. Urbosa and Daruk watched over Shiek's shoulder seeing her slide a finger across the screen. In the blue plasma background an icon appeared. Sheik slid her finger through what looked like a sun icon, an hourglass icon, and then a compass icon. Sheik tapped her finger on the compass icon. The screen turned blank and then what appeared to be a compass appeared on the screen. A neon red pointer surrounded by dashes appeared. Sheik closed her fingers around it minimizing the compass and moved her hand to the upper left of the screen. She slid a finger over several icon until she stopped and poked a map icon. Urbosa did not know what was going on and looked at Daruk. He just shook his head.

"Oh!" Sheik said, "Wait! Gotta check the fuel."

Sheik waved a hand over the screen and everything disappeared. She slid a finger over more icons until she poked at a icon with an "E" and "F" divided by a slash. The letters appeared again on the screen but separated by dashes. It blinked red with a pointer pointing nearer the "E".  
"Shoot!" Sheik jumped off from the raft for the bag she carried with her from the bar. She took out a handful of ancient shafts, gears, and screws. When she saw Urbosa about to touch the screen, Sheik shouted for her to get away. Sheik jumped on the metal platform and kneeled to press a button in the middle of the platform. The platform glowed with blue glyphs. A panel opened in the middle where Shiek pressed the button. Sheik dropped the ancient parts into the hole and press the button again to close it. "Alrighty," Sheik yarled, "let's roll."

The sand seals pulled the raft along with Sheik , Daruk, and Urbosa. Urbosa feared it would be difficult to pull the raft with Daruk but it was not an issue for the large creatures. Sheik 's goggles shielded her eyes from the flying sand. She constantly eyed her map glowing on the panel. A yellow triangle represented them on the map. At the top left, a compass pointed to the northwest. The wind became stronger as they approached Karusa Valley. It made sense for the Yiga to want to hide here. Sandstorms threatened anyone trying to travel in this region. It appeared a mild sandstorm might brew.

"So tell me," Urbosa said, "How long have you lived out here?"

Sheik looked down at Urbosa, "My whole life."

"You've never lived outside the desert?" Urbosa remembered that Sheik never answered this question directly.

Sheik smiled, "There is nothing for me out there. Here, I'm the Queen of the Desert. No one crosses me."

"You should come on over to Death Mountain sometime," Daruk said, "We never get enough visitors besides from Gerudo."

"That huge rock in the distance? No, thanks. Just one arid wasteland is enough for me."

"Ha ha!" Daruk bellowed, "Probably to the average person, but that place is a paradise with plenty of rocks to warm the soul. If you have the proper equipment, you won't boil in your own skin."

"You call my kingdom a wasteland?" Urbosa said.

"This wasteland is my companion, your highness." Sheik heard the edge underyling Gerudo chieftain's smirk, "It doesn't matter if your a Queen of a wasteland, a princess of some fish, a king, a warrior from some rock, or a vagrant. We're under the same sun. I'll die, you'll die. Eventually. We are all imprisoned in the same circle of life. Doesn't matter if you have some fancy title."

Daruk and Urbosa saw Sheik dodge an arrow. Another sand raft one made of traditional came down a slope. Three people wrapped in cloaks were aboard this raft. Two other people on horseback rode down the slope with the sand raft. They shoot arrow after arrow at Sheik . The sharpened steel tip bounced off the metal body of Sheik 's sand raft.

"Who are they," Urbosa said. She wondered if they were some people from before.

"If its who I think it is," Sheik said pushing buttons on the panel, "then their raiders after some money I owe them. I didn't mention that?"

"No!" Urbosa yelled.

"Well, technically," Sheik 's sand raft picked up speed and bumped over a sandbar, "Ugh, I sold them some precious gems for a high price and if my theory is correct, then they found out some of them weren't real. Oops. Hold on tight. Today's not the day I die."

The raiders gained on them. Sheik 's sand raft slid down a slope erratically. The sand seals were scared and kept crossing their ropes. The raiders shot more arrows from behind Sheik . Daruk blocked the arrows with his own arm and Urbosa held up her shield. Sheik saw the enemy sand raft right beside her own. She ordered either Daruk or Urbosa to take the controls. Before they comprehend what she said, Sheik jumped onto the wooden raft. Her cloak flapped like a cape. The raiders attacked Sheik with daggers, but Sheik 's slender body dodged each of their swipes elegantly. She subdued both of them quickly. Sheik looked at the raider at the helm. The raider readied his bow until he saw what was ahead. Sheik looked behind her and saw a Molduga in the air. It was larger than any other Molduga Sheik ever saw. It's massive body splashed the sand. The impact caused the ground to shake. It wormed its way around the sand in a large moving heap of sand. It closed in on them. The sand seals bravely continued forward. Sheik knew sand seals were dumb enough enough not realize what was ahead of them.

The raider jumped off the raft and ran away. Sheik looked ahead and saw a flat bed of rocks incoming. The raft itself hit the rocks and flipped over. Sheik flew through the air. She saw her own raft gliding on the sand in front of her. The Molduga thrashed through the sand closer. The blind creature followed the vibrations caused by the sound of the raft. Urbosa did her best to control it. Sheik took out a grapple hook from her pouch tied to her trousers. She threw it toward Daruk who caught it. Sheik landed on wooden debris from the crashed sand raft. She slid on the wooden board with Daruk holding on to her by the rope. Daruk pulled her forward. The raiders on horseback were right behind her. The Moldugo jumped from beneath the sand for the raiders on horseback. The horses whined in terror as they flipped through the air. The Molduga ate them and the raiders in one gulp. The force threw Sheik into the air. Dark's grasp of the rope slipped, but he pulled Sheik from the air to the raft. Sheik pushed Urbosa away from the controls,

"We're heading towards a small sandstorm!" Urbosa warned.

"Good thinking," Sheik said.

The sand buffeted against the sand seals but they pushed on. Arrows flew haphazardly at the raft, but only landed in the sand. Sheik looked at the map through the dust, but the sandstorm blocked any signal the raft could receive. She looked ahead and barely made out anything. Vague rock formations sped by them. Underneath them, the raft slid on the some rock causing it rumble. The strange symbols began to glow red again. They blinked off and on. Urbosa asked what that meant, and Sheik said,

"It means hold on!"

The raft hit up against something hard. It flipped over and everyone aboard the raft flew off.

* * *

Urbosa felt someone nudging her. In front of her, a statue of a frog peered at her. A mask with an inverted Sheika Eye covered the frog's face. That meant one thing, Yiga. Urbosa finally noticed it was Daruk's rough palm shaking her. He asked if she was alright. Other than a few bruises and cuts, she was fine. Urbosa saw the sand seals lying on their backs trying to bask in whatever was left of the sun. The sun lowered behind the valley walls. The darkness became deeper and the valley colder. Urbosa then heard digging from under a nearby cliff. It was Sheik rummaging through her crashed sand raft. It looked like nothing happened to it. Not even the slightest dent blemished the brown metal. Sheik was digging through the sand finding ancient parts probably lost in the crash. Sheik darted her head up at Urbosa when she made the tiniest noise. Her goggles were broken.

"Oh," she said returning to the sand, "Did you get enough beauty sleep? I've seemed to have lost some parts. Gimme a moment."

"Stand up," Urbosa ordered.

"I'm almost...," Sheik said.

"As the Gerudo chieftain, I order to you stand up! I don't like being jerked around." She unsheathed her schimtar and pointed it at Sheik .

"Urbosa," Daruk interjected, "Give the mystery girl a break. She saved us back there!"

"Exactly," Urbosa said, "Where did you learn fight like that? Most royal knights can't fight like that well. You're no ordinary vagrant. And where did you get that raft or whatever abomination that is?"

Sheik eyed Urbosa and smiled, "You're sharp," Sheik packed the last ancient gear she found, "The Gerudo chose well." She walked past Urbosa who grabbed Sheik 's cloak. Sheik easily slipped out of cloak and out of Urbosa's grasp. She wore a dark blue garb with white glyphs stitched on the fabric. A wide white stripe went down the middle.

"You stole Guardian technology to make that raft," Urbosa said dropping the cloak, "Technology that belongs to King."

"I steal things all the time, your highness. Why does this all matter now? And whoever said that technology ever belong to the King in the first place?"

"He is King Hyrule. He rules over the land. We all are under his reign."

"He's not my king," Sheik 's smile could cut glass and then an eyebrow arched, "You don't seem the type to follow laws willy-nilly," she closed her eyes and shook her head, "We are losing focus of the goal. Do you want to arrest me and sent me back all the way to the Hyrule Castle prison. Or do want to follow your kings orders and find the thing not even the king himself has given the full details on."

Ubosa stared at Sheik . Urbosa did not blink but Sheik 's smile remained on her face.

"Slow down you two," Daruk stood between them, "I don't like to get in the middle of things. I like a good fight more than the next Goron, but...

"What's the matter?" Sheik said to Daruk with eyes locked on Urbosa, "You don't want to see some girl on girl action?"

"...but, we're on a mission. After we figure out what the Yiga are after, then we can find out what do with mystery girl here." Urbosa did not answer and walked away toward the frog statue. Daruk scratched the back of his head, "For all its worth, mystery girl, we're really glad your helping.

Sheik turned around wordlessly picking up her cloak and followed Urbosa. All three of them walked closer together the farther they traveled into the valley.

Three frog statues waited for them in the middle of the path. They soon began to increase in numbers. Frog statues appeared on top of the rocks in a line as if they were looking at them. The valley opened up. Lines that connected one side of the valley to the next hung wind chimes. It made the valley somehow appear more lonely than it already was. People were suppose to be here, but weren't. Urbosa felt they were being watched. Something about the statues made her anxious. Once Urbosa was in their line of sight of their unmoving unblinking eyes, they looked directly into her soul. She allowed Sheik to lead the way just so that she could watch any sudden movement. Urbosa did not trust anything right now. Urbosa then felt relief at the sight of a chamber built into rock. Torches lit up a dark room. Urbosa saw a small set of stairs that led up to a platform. Sheik leaned her head into this chamber. A closer look revealed banners with the inverted eye of the Yiga hanging down from the ceiling. Sheik silently stepped inside signaling the others to follow. Urbosa and Daruk lightly stepped inside.

Urbosa realized that Sheik 's footsteps did not make any noise. She and Daruk looked around for any sign of scrolls of parchment or anything incriminating against the Yiga. There was nothing in the room but the torches. They were still lit so someone must have been here earlier. Sheik touched the fabric of the banner and looked behind. She laughed. From her pocket, she took out flint and a dagger. Sheik struck it against the flint and the sparks spat at the banner. The banner ignited. Urbosa was ready to attack as she witness this happening. Behind the curtain was a path. Urbosa checked behind every other banner but revealed nothing. Sheik led the way through the path up some stairs. Urbosa saw bridge connecting over to a cell with no one inside. A set of stairs went down to a lower level. Sheik sidled the wall with Urbosa and Daruk imitating her. Sheik eyed fresh set of moist footprints. Sheik placed her index finger to her lip for the others. Sheik crouched down and poked her head into the next room.

A Yiga clan member leaned against a column in the middle of a large square area. An adjacent path seemed to have connect another room. Sheik smiled and knocked on the wall lightly. The Yiga member left the wall to investigate the noise. As soon as he stepped into the hallway, Sheik grabbed the man and pinned him to wall.

"Say something useful and maybe I won't kill you," Sheik whispered. The Yiga Clan member looked at Sheik then at Urbosa whose fingers crackled with electricity.

"Would you trust me with something important? Just look at me."

"Good point." Sheik slammed the man's head against the wall. His mask broke and Sheik slammed his bare face into the wall again. His nose began to bleed from the impact.

"Beware, fool, the eye of the Yiga." the man struggled to say.

Sheik slammed the man's head against the wall again. He fell unconscious. Sheik patted his through the man's body suit but found only a few rupees on his person.

Urbosa sidled the wall behind Sheik . The adjacent hallway led into an empty open room much larger than the chamber. Sheik crossed halfway into the room until she halted everyone. She knelt down and saw the light of the torch trace the outline of a line. She cut the line with her dagger and jumped away. A large pendulum sliced through a line from one side of the room to the next cutting into the wall. Urbosa and Daruk followed Sheik again. Glass walls made up the room they entered. The walls projected an infinite number of copies of Sheik , Daruk, and Urbosa. Their slightest movement was copied perpetually from one wall to the other. At the other side of the hall, a passageway led the way out. Sheik watched her copies move their heads as she looked for anything suspicious. She noticed a Yiga clan member landed from the ceiling and attacked one of Urbosa's images. Sheik turned around and told her to watch out. Nothing was in front of the real Urbosa, but the Yiga member pummeled the reflection of Urbosa. The real Urbosa appeared as if she was being attacked. A larger Yiga member attacked Daruk farther down the infinite mirror. The member slashed at Daruk's image with a longsword. Daruk's arm was cut, but he was confused as to who attacked them. Sheik saw one of her own images assaulted by the Yiga member. She understood what was going on.

Sheik dodged air from where she stood but paid close attention to the image being attacked. Sheik retaliated by having her image attack the image of the Yiga member.

"What are you doing?" Urbosa yelled, "There is no time playing around!"

"Haven't you figured it out?" Sheik huffed in between punches. "Attack the images attacking your image!"

"What?" Urbosa thought she spoke nonsense.

"I got a better idea!" Daruk said. He formed his large hand into a fist and punched the glass.

Every glass wall on the left side even the reflections shattered. It echoed sharply until it faded. Hundreds of pieces shattered onto the floor. Daruk and Urbosa saw their images in the large pieces of glass being attack my Yiga. Pain struck them seemingly from nowhere. Irritated, Sheik could not focus on all the Yiga attacking her at once. She put up her hands to blocks their attacks but they came from every angle. Urbosa decided enough was enough. She snapped her fingers and lightening stuck in every glass surface. All the Yiga in every one of their reflections were struck by the lightening. They all fell unconscious. Recovering from bruises everywhere on her body, Sheik let out a deep breath.

"Why didn't you do that before!"

Urbosa, too tired to argue, headed to the exit. Sheik and Daruk followed into a room with platform in the middle. On this platform, a golden helmet with six eyes of sapphire looked straight at them. Sheik 's eyes sparkled at the treasure. She inched toward looking at every perceivable angle if something was going to happen. Any fool would just grab it and leave, but Sheik knew better than to be overcome by her greed. Urbosa and Daruk concentrated on the scrolls and schematics hung up on the walls. Black ink sketched the likeness of the Great Medoh and a temple with many birds. Parchment paper with unintelligible scribbles reminded Urbosa of the glyphs on Sheik 's sand raft. Urbosa looked at Sheik then at the golden helmet on the platform. Urbosa saw Sheik 's dark red painted fingernails reach for the helmet. Sheik 's fingers twitched.

"Hold on!" Urbosa said walking toward the helmet and picking it up.

"Wait!" Sheik said too late. A slab of stone slid up from the floor blocking the only door and thus their only exit.

Before Sheik stated her protest, Urbosa said, "This belongs to the Gerudo Tribe. It's the Thunder Helmet. Supposedly it protects the wearer from lightening."

"You're going to ignore the fact that you trapped us here?"

Urbosa shook her head, "This is a priceless heirloom passed down from daughter to mother. It has been reported stolen by the Yiga Clan. Did you know that this was the treasure? My treasure?"

"Did you know, we're locked here!"

"I'll have Daruk punch the door open," Urbosa took the helm with her as she returned to the scrolls.

"Well," Sheik shrugged, "If I'm going to be stuck here, than I might as well make myself comfortable." '

Sheik reached into the pockets of her cloak and took out incense sticks and a few herbs. She sat crossed leg on the platform and lit the incense. She fanned the end of the sticks until a glowing ember smoldered releasing a fragrance. Reaching under cloak, Sheik took out a leather wineskin. She took a quick sip.

"Anybody want a drink to cool the nerves," Sheik said, but both ignored her. Sheik shrugged, "Hey, don't say I didn't offer."

"What's that smell?" Daruk said fanning his nose.

"Incense," Sheik said, "Helps me relax."

Thick white clouds vaped from the incense. A thin layer of smoke permeated the air.

"Smells funky," Daruk said. It became hard to see. Daruk's vision became blurry, "Hey, Urbosa," Daruk coughed, "Do, don't you f-feel a little dizzy?"

"I want to actually thank you two for the privilege of traveling the desert with you," Sheik said, "It's been honor to fight alongside the Gerudo Chieftain and one of the descendants of the great Goron warriors." Sheik looked up and saw a way out from this trap.

"I feel a little dizzy, too, hon." Urbosa said rubbing her eyes, "My eyes are watering," Urbosa looked at the incense burning and realized what was going on. "The incense!"

"I really wish the best of luck on your oncoming journey."

"Daruk," Urbosa could barely stand, "G-get get her." she fell to one knee.

Daruk wobbled over to Sheik trying to reach for her, but Daruk fell and rolled over like a boulder. Sheik walked passed the fallen Goron to Urbosa face up on the ground barely conscious. Sheik got down on both knees looking over Urbosa. Urbosa saw clearly, even in the smoke, Sheik 's somber face.

"It may be useless to tell you this now," she actually sounded serious, "I have no right to speak so bluntly to you, your highness, but as a girl I always wanted to be one of the Gerudo warriors. It truly would have been an honor to serve you." Sheik frown deepened, "but people like us don't chose the life we live," Sheik looked up at the ceiling for a moment in silence, "It's funny. If things turned out the way they were suppose to than I, we would be on the same side. I would have never be in the desert. It's all the same but different," she smiled, "Just look who I am talking to. Your brother and Link should know this better than all of us." Sheik leaned over Urbosa to grab the thunder helmet. Their bodies almost touched. Sheik then put her lips to Urbosa's ear, "Tell the old lady I'm sorry. Tell her...tell her, I didn't want to play this silly game anymore. I finally able to live my own life."

Sheik 's soft voice gave Urbosa a headache. The last thing Urbosa saw was Sheik 's blurry image standing over her.


	11. Chapter V: Call Me a Dog

"We cannot sit idly by as these trespassers raid our land! We should attack as soon as we sniff one out." Shadow snarled. Fur black as night stood up like pine needles.

Beowulf sat at the top of the rock looking over the circle of wolves. His half eaten left ear twitched as other wolves, bears, and hogs came through the bushes.

Dolphus penetrated the circle with one large paw, "That is exactly what got Felan killed! He attacked a group of knights armed with weapons! The human's are getting smarter! Who would've thought!?"

"Felan didn't!" Shadow barked getting closer to Dolphus, "He was still a pup! Young and stupid!"

"Are you calling my kin stupid!" Dolphus closed the gap between him and Shadow.

"I didn't know he was yours, but that explains it!"

The two wolves attacked each other bitting at the neck. Shadow was younger thus faster. His teeth sunk through Dolphus' fur pinning him down. He tried to wriggle free swiping his back paw at Shadow's side.

A large crash forced them both apart. Beowulf landed beside them. He was as tall as two large men even hunched over. "That's enough! We need to fight the human's not each other. If you don't stop this nonsense at once...,"  
'Oh, please, Beowulf," Lupa said limping forward, "Let the pups have their fun. Once they kill each other, we can actually seek a real solution to this. No further distractions." Lupa entered the circle panting heavily. Scorch marks scarred her side. She finally spat out her broken tooth.

"Lupa," Shadow sniffed her meat, "I see that your still allowing that woman-creature ride you like a domesticated horse."

"Heh, heh," Lupa laughed weakly. The woman climbed off her, "My daughter is an efficient man killer and will continue killing long after you are dead. With your reckless attitude, that won't be too..."

"Please," the woman pleaded, "save your strength. She's right," the woman looked back at Beowulf, "The real problem at hand is that king. He is the reason why those knights are in this forest in the first place. I attacked them earlier at a village."

"You still want to sink your teeth into that king?" Shadow licked his wounds.

"Until my dying breath, I will! It's a fact! He ordered the burning of our forests to drive us out. He left many animals without homes and families. The king of Hyrule unearthed the Great Medoh of the Sky's technology and plans to use it for conquest. To expand his reign. They show no respect!"

"Those machines they unearthed," Accalia said, "scattered my family! All but one of my pups have been found. She is the youngest and most feeble!"

"I witnessed Mingan's birth," the woman said warmly, "I was the first one Mingan saw when her eyes opened. I have not found her yet. It saddens me greatly. As for the rest of you, I have a plan!"

"You, a human, think you speak as an equal among the wolf clan?! Who asked for your ideas?!" Shadow bared his large fangs at the woman.

Shadow was large enough for the woman to stare at him at eye level. She walked up to him bearing her own fangs, "I am more beast than woman! I've killed more humans when I was a child than any pup! Even knights clad in armor. I will not rest until I kill every single knight in the king's royal guard!"

"Your attempt to attack the Heavenly Knights almost got Lupa killed! Just look at her!"

"One of those so called 'Heavenly' knights," Lupa said, "had a sword even my teeth couldn't break."

"He did not want to kill us either," the woman reflected on that moment, "You see? The knights are getting better materials for their weapons. We need a plan!"

"What do you suppose we do?" Shadow sought the answer from Beowulf.

"I think we should...," the woman began.

"I'm asking the elder!" Shadow barked, "speak when spoken...,"

"I don't need permission to speak!" the woman continued, "We need to attack in larger numbers. A representative from our clan should speak to the other clans at each forest and plan on a full frontal attack!"

"Good luck with that," Arnou laughed, "There are too many forests, too many clans, and too much land to cover!"

"Do you not want to avenge your fallen kin?" the woman said.

"You dare speak of..."

"Yes, I dare! Just like the humans dare to kill their gods. They kill the very land they can't live without!"

"The woman creature is right!" Sandalia said, "We need larger numbers. More help. That knight with the unbreakable sword Lupa speaks of I've heard is the best swordsman of all the land. One wolf alone cannot kill him. The others say, he capable of killing ten wolves. If this is true, then a more organized assault is what we need."

"I agree with her," Cana said.

The wolves started talking all at once. Voices scattered in a storm of barks, yelps, and howls. Beowulf's howl made every wolf obedient. "I've heard enough!" he barked, "I think that we can all agree that the humans are growing in numbers even in the forest. If the king is actually trying to bend the Guardians to his will and expand his kingdom, then we have no hope in protecting our land. We need to stop him."

"Then," the woman said, "you agree with me?"

"Yes," Beowulf said.

"But Beowulf," Shadow said, "We cannot possibly take side with this outsider! She may fight alongside us, but she is human! We can't trust her! She will lead the wolves astray!"

"Are you questioning my authority?"

"Why trust a human? "

"Lupa has lived in this forest for eons. Almost as long as me. She was born here and will die here. Lupa passed down all her wisdom from that time into this woman creature. If she trusts this woman then so do I. She along with Lupa will go to the other clans and see they agree! Tell them that I, Beowulf has granted you permission to do so!"

"Your advanced age has made you slow in thinking!" Shadow snarled, "I will not follow into battle with a human."

"You forget yourself. Know your place, dog!" the woman said.

"What did you call me?!" Shadow growled and tried to launch himself over Beowulf, but Beowulf was faster.

"That's twice you've attacked your own," Beowulf said through his teeth, "and in my presence! I may be older than the trees but I can still make my own decisions! I am still the chief! You will obey!"

Shadow tried to escape, but yielded when it was no use. Beowulf let go of him. Shadow looked at the woman and licked his chops, "I will not take part in this plan! I will not take orders from a human." He ignored Beowulf and turned to the others, "To those of you with half a mind, follow me! We can organize our own pack! Follow me and we will have every wolf, bear, and hog by tonight!"

After Shadow finished, a loud roar shook the earth. Every wolf's ear pricked up and they all looked in the direction of the roar. Birds bloated out the sun cloaking the world in darkness. When all the birds flew away and unmasked the sun, everyone noticed that Shadow vanished.

"That must have been Farosh!" the woman said. "It must be those Heavenly Knights!" The woman instinctively ran to Lupa but realized her wounds. It might have gotten smaller, but the woman still worried about her mother's safety.

"Well," Lupa said to the woman, "what are you waiting for? Don't you want to kill those knights? Then jump on my back and we'll give chase!"

"But..."

"Act now, child! Come, jump on or I'll kill them before you do." The woman clenched her fists and mounted Lupa. "As for the rest of you, if you want to join our hunt your free to come. Otherwise, more meat for us!"

Lupa jumped into the bushes and dashed toward the direction of Farosh's fury.


	12. Chapter VI: Eat the Elephant

The lightening spirit, Farosh, lowered its face at Link who remained entirely composed, "Leave now mortal!" it roared, "The likes of you are forbidden in this land!"

Nobo curled up in a ball between Mipha and Revali, "It's the lightening spirit! He's real!"

"That's Farosh?" Mipha said. She began to tremble.

"He looks real mad," Revali's eyes were wide.

"My name is...," Link tried to say.

"I know who you are. Who you were. And who you will be. The very bones of the dead lie here. I also know of the others! The arrogant Rito, Revali. He has not once paid tribute to me. I also know of the foolish Zora Princess, Mipha. I remember her when she was but a child. She dared swim into my stream during one of my many thunderstorms. Her mother, the Queen, managed to scale my waves to rescue the stupid..."

 _"Shut up!"_ Mipha screamed, "I don't want to remember!"

"We are here under orders of King Hyrule," Link explained, "We scouted the area for Yiga...,"

"I know of the Yiga's plan! The defectors! It is a foolish one! Using my power to sway the Rito into flying them to their god! Arrogance! Mere humans shall not make a mockery of me!"

"What are you saying?"

"Yes," Nobo said. Everyone turned to Nobo. He was not frightened anymore, "but there is more to it than that. Way more. Your just a small part of a bigger plan."

"Nobo...," Mipha said.

"I'm sorry it couldn't work out between us, princess," Nobo's face twisted into a smile. He laughed and that laughed turned into a cackle that froze Mipha's bones, "I had to follow you, the hero, and that stupid bird so I could get this far. Certainly I couldn't do it on my own."

"What did you say?" Revali readied his bow.

"Don't point the beak at me. Point it at him," Nobo pointed to Link, "He knew the entire time. Everything that would happen and everything that will."

"What's he babbling about?" Revali looked at Link.

"You bore me," Nobo said and commanded, _"Fall."_

Revali grabbed his chest where the brand marked him. He ached in pain and fell to the ground. Nobo's face twisted more until it contorted into the elderly woman's face. Mipha recognized that face.

Farosh darted passed everyone carrying the wind and its fury with it. It felt like a hurricane blew passed them. Farosh halted in front of the elderly woman. He growled from its throat, "You're filth just keep coming back again and again. The hero always fails to put a stop to the cycle, never actually finishing your ilk off. Well, I won't waste any time. I shall devour his evil soul into oblivion!"

The elderly woman lifted her hand to Farosh. Her hand shined with an awesome power. Farosh's roar shook the temple. The ceiling collapsed.

Link and Mipha ridden on horseback away from the storm that chased them. Lightening clashed with the ground so violently it caused tremors. Even the rumble of the thunder above shook the very earth. It knocked the trees down in a fire quickly snuffed out by the rain. A heavy wind pulled the trees up from their roots. Mipha looked behind her and saw Farosh on their tail. Their horse was not fast enough to escape Farosh's fury. Their horse lifted up from the ground still running in place. She screeched in fear as she became lost in the hurricane. Link and Mipha lost hold of the reigns and flew in the cyclone of trees, pieces of earth, and animals.

"Mipha! Hold on to me!" Link yelled and the Zora Princess held on to Link for dear life. She closed her eyes praying silently to the Goddess Hylia for them to make it out of this alive.

Her long nails slid down his body ripping his tunic then tugging on his trousers until she grabbed his boot with only one hand. Link took out a paraglider to sail across the cyclone. Mipha dangled on Link's leg. Her nails dug into Link's skin. The wind was strong enough for Link to wrap his arm around the handle. He reached into his pouch for a rope. He bit down on it to reach for an arrow. He tied the arrow to the rope tightly. In the tumult, Link looked around for a tree still clinging to the roots. He prayed to the Goddess Hylia for this to work. He let go of the paraglider and at the right time with the bow angled in the right position fired the arrow. The arrow was fired fast enough to wrap around the tree. The arrow caught itself in the branches. Link pulled himself and Mipha toward the tree. Each strain from pulling made it felt like his arms were going to detach from his body. The force of the wind was too much for the tree. It pulled from the ground. Link almost lost his grip. The rope unwrapped from the tree, but was caught by a large hand.

"I gotcha little guy!" Daruk used his enormous strength to pull Link and Mipha against the hurricane.

He safely put Link and Mipha on the ground. Daruk tucked both of them under his arm. He stood behind Urbosa to block the wind. Farosh appeared from inside the cyclone and its eyes locked onto the three Heavenly Knights. It charged at them with all its wrath accumulating into one attack. Daruk turned around so that his stony back faced the corrupted spirit. Before Farosh attacked, a orange glowing sphere manifested around everyone. Farosh slammed into Daruk breaking his shield and throwing him across the ground. Everyone went flying and hit the ground full force. Farosh hit the ground unconscious. The hurricane stopped. The Heavenly Knights struggled to get up.

"Geez," Daruk said rubbing his head, "I'm gonna feel that tomorrow. How's everyone else?"

"I think I broke a nail," Urbosa casually checked her fingers eyebrows furrowed at a chipped nail, "Other than I'm good. What about you two?"

Link stood up. He might have sprained his arm. Mipha stood up and wiped the dirt off her. She thanked Hylia, Link, and Daruk for being alive. "I think we're okay."

"What happened to the lightening spirit?" Urbosa looked at the lifeless form of Farosh.

"It was a witch," Link said, "The one that captured you in the cave."

"What did you say?" Urbosa stood over Link. "How do you know that?"

"What did Nobo mean about you knowing everything that was going to happened?" Mipha asked.

"First answer my question," Urbosa stared down Link. "Wait," she said, "Who is Nobo? And where is Revali?"

"Okay," Daruk got confused, "Slow down with all these questions. I'm still reeling from that last attack."

"Look," Link commanded, "Bigger things are going on than any of us right now. We need to hurry to the king."

"Why?" Urbosa shook her head, "Everything is fine now. Answer my question. What about this witch?"

"You don't understand," Link said.

"Of course I don't that's why I'm asking."

"I can't explain everything," Link backed away, "I...we have to hurry and await the king's orders."

He turned around to face Mipha. She looked coyly at him, "Yes, please, Link," she said gently, "Help us understand. What do you know?"

A loud explosion rumbled the earth. Everyone turned around to find the source. It came from the temple. Black and red fire erupted from the top. Tendrils of smoke reached for the heavens specifically for Vah Medoh. The ground began to crack and rumble more violently than before. The crust became malleable. It rippled from underneath the Heavenly Knight's feet like water. The ground collided into itself creating hills and mountains. Mountains crumbled into pebbles. The water turned black as coal. Nah Medoh screeched like the very bird it resembled. Its eyes glowed a deep red color. From its beak, a blue light shone brighter and brighter until it fired a laser at the ground. The laser streaked the ground and walls of fire and dirt flew into the sky until it disappeared.

"We have to go," Link ordered, but looked at everyone as they stared at the sky god.  
"We have to go, now! Back to Hyrule Castle. The king will know what to do!"

Everyone followed Link out of what remained of the forest. Foxes, horses, rabbits, and hogs ran away with them. Link mounted the nearest horse and rode it. He held out his hand to grab Mipha's. They ridden alongside a rolling Daruk and Urbosa who flew on a nimbus cloud. Link saw the wolves running beside him and Mipha. The woman rode on top of one. She tried to stab Link with a sphere. The woman whooped during each strike. Link serpentined around the wolves trying to lose them, but it did not work. They were faster than the horse. One of them stopped in front of Link. The bold horse tried to jump over the wolf but the horse's leg got trapped in the wolf's mouth. The wolf tossed around the horse around until it threw the horse like a rag doll. Link and Mipha hit the ground. The wolves surrounded them, but they did not attack.

"They're mine!" the woman charged at them from the outside. Neither Link or Mipha were in any condition to fight, but evaded each of the woman's attacks. "This is your fault. You angered the lightening god and eaten his soul."

"It's not our fault! Please listen!" Mipha pleaded, but the woman grazed Mipha with her spear.

Suddenly, lightening stroke each of the wolves in the circle and the woman. The woman and the wolves fell unconscious. Urbosa stepped forward with Daruk.

"Such a nuisance," Urbosa said. She picked up the woman by the collar, "Who are you?" Urbosa yelled, "Why attack the Heavenly Soldiers?! Answer me!"

"Urbosa, that's enough." Link said.

"I don't think it is!" Urbosa yelled," Why attack during this mess? Do you know her?"

"I'm forbidden from telling you," Link said.

Urbosa dropped the woman. She turned around and walked over to Link quickly. She grabbed him by his collar lifting him up. "I grow bored of your shady attitude. You blame my brother for this mess and then you protect a feral woman who's out for your blood. Worse of all, you hesitate to give answers. You better start explaining things, boy!"

"This isn't a good time," Link said calmly. "Medoh is under Ganondorf's control. This is just the beginning."

"What does that mean?" Urbosa stomped her foot.

"If we stand here," Link said, "You'll never find out."Urbosa clenched her teeth but before she said anything Medoh screeched once more. Another ball of light charged and shoot another beam of light to the ground. "Hyrule Castle is the next target," Link warned, "We need to get back to Hyrule and protect the castle at all costs. Imprison the woman. She'll be safer there."

Urbosa dropped Link and put the woman over her shoulder. She summoned another nimbus cloud, "Suit yourself, but I'm not doing this because you say so. It is a high crime to assault a Heavenly Soldier." Urbosa ridden the cloud toward Hyrule castle.

"Daruk," Link said. Head toward Hyrule Castle with Urbosa. Something tells me more wolves will follow her. You'll be able to catch up to them."

"I suppose," Daruk rubbed his head, "I don't know what's going on, little guy, but you seem to know more than me. Just don't get the princess killed."

"I'll protect her with my life," Link said.

"Be careful Daruk," Mipha said.

"Don't worry about me, princess, worry about yourself." Daruk curled into a ball and rolled toward Hyrule Castle.

"Mipha," Link said. "I know a lot of this seems confusing right now. I just need you to be patient with me. Can you do that? All your questions will be answered soon. Ok?"

Link did not wait for an answer. Regardless, Mipha followed Link to the castle.

Medoh of the Sky screeched when Link and Mipha reached the bridge. A beam of light shot out from its beak more than a mile a away. Violent waves raged over Hylia Lake. Whirlpools twisted the once still water. It pushed against the supporting pillars rocking the bridge itself. Mipha never thought the waves could be that powerful. When the earth shook from a tremor, the bridge tilted. Link and Mipha steadied themselves before trying to run over the bridge as quickly as possible. The bridge tilted up and sideways. The cliff where the northern towers were embedded crumbled. Large pieces of the cliff fell into the lake.

"Look out!" Link yelled.

Mipha saw the beam of light slice through the bridge. They braced themselves for the explosion and the falling pieces of stone. The beam of light went erratically around the bridge. It sliced through the bridge as if it were paper. Sections of the bridge fell into the lake. Link saw that they needed only to jump over a small gap. He watched for the beam of light before jumping over the gap. He caught the edge and climbed his way up. The beam of light sliced through the lake. Link climbed over the edge and positioned himself to catch Mipha.

"Jump, your grace!" He yelled, "I'll catch you!"

Mipha looked over the edge at the lake. The water crashed against the pillars. She could feel the waves pushing her away from the edge. It twisted her stomach.

 _How could a Zora be afraid of water?_ she thought, _You're no Zora!_

She saw the beam of light coming her way. Without thought, Mipha jumped over the edge. Link caught her by the forearm but the ensuing explosion made his grip slip. He now held her by the fingers. Link looked over his shoulder to see the entrance to the bridge. Their exit. He then saw the beam of light coming toward him. Mipha saw it too.

"Save yourself, Link!" Mipha pleaded, "I'll be fine!" Mipha did not know if she would survive the fall.

"Those waters are too unusual even for a Zora. It's not safe! If I could just..." His hand kept slipping from her wet hand.

Mipha smiled, "Thank you, Link."

"Mipha!" Link's grip slipped from the Zora Princess' fingers.

Mipha somersaulted through the air until she faced the lake. Frozen with fear, Mipha closed her eyes waiting to enter the black depths.

-End of Part II-


	13. Prologue: Part III

_Mommy! Mommy! Help me! Please!_

The young Zora Princess swirled in the darkened water. Mipha did know where she was. When she managed to wade her head above water, it was only for a few seconds. She was foolish. She should have heed her parents warning and stayed away from the river. Rocks slammed against her. It became too much and decided to let the river carry her wherever it saw fit. Something pulled her against the river's tide. The blurry underwater became clear and the world flipped all around her. Mipha realized she was being cradled by someone. Her body was too tired to find out who or what saved her. Even the rain hurt. She became terrified of the thunder and threw a tantrum. She kicked and screamed until she wore herself out. The world became dark again.

Mipha did not know where she was until she saw her mother's face on the bed with her.

"Mommy!" Mipha cried.

"Now, hush young one." the Queen whispered. "You were carried off by the waves. Are you quite alright?"

Mipha hiccuped, "Yes, but where are we?"

"We're home silly."

"You're not mad?" Mipha thought she would never go out swimming again.

The Queen thought for a moment, "I was quite disturbed by your absence, but your father was furious. He wanted to send guards everywhere to look for you. He wanted them to search every inch of our domain. I knew where you were."

"How did you know?"

"I always know where you are, my Mipha. When I told your father that I found you, knowing that you were safe eased his anger. He'll forget all about his anger when he sees that your safe."

"Mommy?"

"Yes," the Queen said.

"I'm sorry for not following your orders. Everyone should do what you say. Your the Queen."

"I'm also your mother. I always be there for you. As does your father. He may show it in his own way, but he was more scared than I was. I didn't let that stop me from finding you. When you're Queen and have little princes and princesses of your own, you'll understand.

"I don't know if can be a good queen. What if I'm old and mean like Muzu? No one will like me."

The Queen laughed, "What have I told you? The lotus blooms even in the murkiest of waters. You'll be a great Queen."

"Thank you for saving me, mommy. Mommy? Mommy? _Mommy! Help me!_ They told her the Queen came for her rescue, but she did not tell that was the last they would see her.

"Momma," Mipha woke in her bedchamber alone.


End file.
